


Slipping Through My Fingers

by writeyourownlifestory



Series: Babies, Sex, and Everything In-between [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: ABBA, Babies, Bachelor Party, Birth, Domestic Fluff, Family, Gay Sex, M/M, Stripper, Stripping, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-03-05 11:04:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 93,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18827386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory
Summary: The Great Adventures of Joe and Ben!





	1. Won't Somebody Help Me Chase The Shadows Away?

**Author's Note:**

> You really didn't think we'd let it end there, would you? ;P

Deep down in Joe’s cerebellum, he knew Ben loved him. He truly believed that they were meant to be. Soulmates, if you would. They met in the most unique circumstances and while nothing about what happened to them would ever be considered ideal, Joe would never have wanted it any other way.

Yet, like every insecure person, he had his doubts. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the thought lingered that one day, the gorgeous statue of a man would look at the life he was living and decide it wasn’t good enough for him. That he would grow tired of the flopped screenplays and tantrums were thrown by their toddler and just up and run.

He would see that being with Joe just wasn’t worth the time and effort and he’d head back to England, calling only every now and then to speak to their daughter when he had the time.

It had yet to happen and while Joe knew it was absolutely crazy to think it ever would, the idea still lingered inside his head, even as they were planning their wedding. The two had agreed to wait until Clara was old enough to be involved. Her first year came and went and was as wonderful as one could imagine.

They threw her a large birthday party, as everyone excepted. They had trouble landing on a theme, as both men wanted something completely different and neither willing to settle. Finally, they threw away both thoughts and chose something completely different. The party went off with a swing and neither men could believe their precious little miracle was already a year old.

Oh, how time flew by so quickly.

Once she was old enough to walk, the blond took it into his own hands to push for the wedding. Joe had been very lax about it, believing that when it happened, it happened. He had the bracelet to show off and the tiny angel to speak of. He knew marriage was something so many people aimed and fought for, but to him, he just didn’t see the need to have it right away.

If he and Ben were meant to be married then they would be married. They’d get there at their own pace. That was what Joe believed.

And then there was Ben. That beautifully stubborn bastard, who didn’t want to wait and seemed to have half a mind to drag Joe down to Vegas just to get it over with. The only reason he didn’t go through with it was due to Joe’s own mother who threatened them both from taking away the moment from her.

Their lives were anything but traditional, but the least they could do is get married in a basic sense. They’d do it upstate, away from the city and far from England. Ben put his foot down about a church but agreed to the priest to please the ginger. They had a garden selection; a place full of roses and daisies as far as their eyes could see.

Ben had taken over, deciding that having a planner just wasn’t worth the hassle. After all, he was between commercials at the moment, so he had more time on his hands. He took care of everything while Joe just says back and waited for him to decide that even planning the wedding wasn’t worth the trouble, let alone actually going through with it.

And yet it never happened. Ben did it all. He made the guest list and picked out the invitations. Ben had a short list of friends and chose Clara’s own doctor to be his best man while Joe bumped Rami to the sidelines for Lucy, allowing her to be his best woman while Rami got the job of helping Clara down the aisle and keeping her on track for the night. Joe’s mother and Lucy went dress shopping for Clara while Joe and Rami took care of the suits.

While it wasn’t tradition to see what the other was wearing, both Ben and Joe were on the same page for their color schemes. Blue, green and white had worked out well enough for them.

Don’t get them wrong, both men looked hella fine in black, but that was too traditional, too normal. They wanted to add a bit of spice to the whole affair without going a bit too over the top. And while Ben was one hundred percent ready to show up in an all green suit, looking as good as Easter morning, Joe forced him to tone it down a bit.

Joe’s suit was a deep navy with black trimming, white collared shirt and black bow tie. Ben himself chose a white suit with black trimmings that Joe had only caught a glimpse of when it arrived. Leave it to the bastard to make sure they both wore designer outfits without much cost. Modeling mother fucker.

Joe got to see only sketches of Clara’s dress because they were having it handmade for her. She’d be an adorable little puff of blue and green, matching the theme and looking absolutely adorable. Joe already got teary-eyed at the thought of how precious she was going to be. Lucy was talking about different hairstyles and what not now what the girl’s hair was long enough to be messed with.

God, this day was going to absolutely wreck him.

The menu had been chosen and all the cake had been tasted. Choices were made and sooner than anybody expected. The days began trickling down from double to single digits.

Three days before the wedding, the men had their bachelor parties. Ben had been against the idea as he hated what it stood for. Ben didn’t want ‘one last night of freedom’ as this was what he chose. This was what he wanted. A life full of love and excited with Joe and their daughter.

It was so sweet Joe called him a fucking bitch and told Gwilym to plan the party of a lifetime for the blond. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, Joe excepted Ben to meet someone at the bachelor party. He’d get drunk and get wild and that would be the end of them. Maybe Joe was getting himself so paranoid that he just wanted Ben to end things already so his anxiety would finally calm the fuck down. Who the hell knew!

As for his own bachelor party, Joe put his fucking foot down when Rami mentioned having strippers. Joe wasn’t the type to be into the idea and it made him slightly uncomfortable thinking about some girl dancing on him while his own daughter was home asleep. Was that sexist and weird? Totally, but it still happened.

And then Rami mentioned having a male stripper and Ben put his own foot down saying that if Rami hired a male stripper for Joe then he would be uninvited to the wedding.

“I’m not going to allow some greased up bastard in a g-string to thrust his cock into my finances face as some shitty eighties song plays!” He had argued.

The small amount of jealousy was enough for Joe to get pretty damn well turned on and that night he allowed Ben to thrust his cock in his face in more ways than just dancing.

Rami grumbled and compared, but agreed to keep it tame. With his mother taking care of Clara, Lucy and Rami took Joe out for a night out on the town. They went bar hopping, grabbed dinner, and did a bit of karaoke. His brother and sister joined after a bit, the five of them just living their best lives as Joe celebrated the fact that he’d be marrying the love of his life soon enough.

They settled down in some bar that Joe didn’t know the name of, drinking a pretty blue drink that made him feel relaxed and comfortable. John and Rami were talking back and forth while Lucy and Mary were trying to figure out what song to play on the jukebox.

“I gotta hand it to you. Not the worst bachelor party I’ve been to.” John mentioned, sipping on his beer as he leaned back against the booth.

“I had such a wild plan set up, but I think I’ll just pass it along to Joe when it’s my turn to tie the knot,” Rami said, shaking Joe’s shoulder playfully.

“Oh yeah. It will have everything.” Joe insisted playfully.

“Exactly! I want you to shake the freak tree and invite anyone who plops to the ground! Dwarfs and giants, magicians, Zulu tribesmen. Contortionists, fire eaters, and priests. We're going to need to confess.”

“No stripper?” John laughed, placing his now empty bottle on the table.

“You really think Joe would get me one if I asked?” Rami scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I should have Gwilym plan. Now that party has to be fucking off the chain. Oh, wait! Lucy! Play Wild Thing!”

Joe’s head perked up when he heard the familiar name come from the conversation. “What is Gwilym doing?”

“Huh?”

“You said you should have Gwilym plan your bachelor party. What is he planning for Ben’s?”

Rami shifted in his head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “Well, you told him to make it fun for Ben so he and his buddies are at Gwilym’s loft.”

“Doing what?”

“Probably nothing as fun as this,” Mary mentioned, sliding in beside her brother. “Same thing guys always do. Sit around, talk about how marriage is going to ruin him, and then drink away their sorrows.”

“Rami.” Joe kept his eyes on the man, watching him. The shorter of the two squirmed, hating being the center of attention for the first time in forever. “Rami, tell me right now.”

“I don’t even know what the question is.”

“Is Gwilym getting Ben a stripper?”

Rami didn’t answer, instead of turning to look back to Lucy. “Wild Thing! The Troggs!”

“Rami Malek!”

“Fuck sake, Joe! Fine, yes. He got him a stripper because Ben told him not to and you’re supposed to do the exact opposite of what the guy wants. That's like…basic knowledge for these parties.”

“Oh my god.”

“Look, it doesn’t matter, all right? From what I heard, she’s not even that hot.”

“ _She_?!”

“Did you just call a stripper unattractive?” Mary questioned, narrowing her eyes at the man across the way.

This was it. Joe felt it in his (once relaxed, now ridged) bones. Ben really didn’t mention being into women all that much since they got involved. Yes, Joe knew that Ben swung both ways, but he never spoke much about past partners, nor did Joe ever see Ben take a second look at any females that came their way. Or any males. Sure, they talked about if a certain actor was cute and Joe had his jealous moments over some of the models that Ben had to work with, but never once had those misty green eyes wandered.

But they would tonight. Tonight they would settle on that half-naked woman dancing on top of him and it would all be over. No wedding. No future. No second child. He would be alone, all over again and all because Gwilym had to get him a fucking stripper.

Joe thought about slumping back in his seat and drinking until he couldn’t feel anything anymore as he accepted the inevitable.

But then another thought popped into his mind. And that thought was about how much he fucking loved that man and loved the life they were living together. And how if he could do anything, it showed him just how much he believed in their relationship and how he never wanted the insane roller coaster they were on to end.

So he decided to do something about it.

Just as Lucy returned to the table and the song Rami eagerly requested began to play, Joe shuffled out of the booth and hurried out of the bar. The group followed in suit, utterly baffled by his need to retreat.

His hands were fumbling with his phone but he finally focused enough to call Gwilym. The conversation was short and to the point. He was to turn the woman away. Pay what he needed to, but there would be no pretty lady (or not-even-that-hot lady as Rami mentioned) dancing for his fiancée tonight.

Instead, he had something else in mind.

Joe met a majority of the men who had been invited to Ben’s bachelor party. Most of them were fellow models the man enjoyed the company of, while one had been a friend from back in Europe. Allen was Joe’s favorite of the group, as he was bright and bubbly with an adorable accent and cheerful smile.

Joe and his own little party shuffled into Gwilym’s loft. It seemed the good doctor was a bit of a cliche in his own way and paid extra to have the roof of the apartment to himself. It was cheesy and romantic and the perfect place for this to take place.

“He’s all set up,” Gwilym promised. “He put up a bit of a fight, but he should be ready.”

“Shouldn’t we be up there too? I feel like we’re missing out on something.” Rami muttered, eyeing Lucy carefully as she began chatting up one of the models.

“Trust me, you don’t want to see any of this,” Joe promised him. He took one of the bottles off the kitchen counter, twisting and flipping the lid off before taking a long swing. Perhaps a little too long. The bottle was finished in a matter of seconds. Joe hadn’t drunk this much since the night he and Ben met.

Back when his social anxiety had gotten the best of him and now his physical anxiety was taking over. Letting out a loud battle cry, Joe took hold of the portable speaker Gwilym allowed him to borrow to go through with his plans and left the loft, slipping off up the stairs to the roof.

Ben was sitting back in a chair in the middle of the rooftop, facing outwards. He had a blindfold on, much to Joe’s request. He wanted the full effect for this and that meant the whole surprise.

He looked so handsome, with his freshly cut hair and tight clothing. Ben could make anything look good; it was literally what he was paid to do. Sometimes he’d lounge around in workout clothes, looking absolutely wicked and other times he’d return home from a shoot, still, in the outfit, he was supposed to be selling. Honestly, it was a wonder how Joe hadn’t fallen pregnant once they were given the go to have sex again.

Placing the speaker on the nearby flower pot, Joe scrolled through his list of songs. He narrowed it down to five, wanting to pick the best one that would make his fiancé go slightly bit crazy for him. Making his decision, he put the phone down and approached his beloved fiancé, carefully resting his hands on his shoulders.

“Oy! That you, Gwil? Are we finished with this game now?” He asked, tilting his head back. Joe didn’t say anything, instead choosing to run his hands down his chest slowly. Ben took a sharp inhale. “Nope. Not Gwil.” He mentioned tightly. “Um, hi. You’re . . . oh god.” Ben hung his head back heavily, letting out something of a groan. “I damn well told Gwilym I didn’t want a stripper! Sorry, love. I know you’re just doing your job but I’d greatly appreciate it if you stopped before you even began.”

Joe pulled away then, surprised by his words. So it seemed he too wasn’t a fan of having some stranger grind on him for pointless stimulation. Lucky for Ben, Joe wasn’t a stranger. He moved forward, going to straddle his fiancé, catching the blond off guard.

“Bloody hell,” He muttered, gritting his teeth. “Look, I am really not interested! There have to be rules about all this. You can’t damn well dance for someone who is unwilling. Go find any of the others, I promise they would be more than happy to play along.”

Joe fought off the urge to just kiss him right then and there. This man had someone on top of him, someone so willing to give him a good time. Joe could smell the expensive alcohol Gwilym had given Ben, and yet his mind was still clear, still on track. Christ, this man. He would surely be the death of Joe someday. But not today.

Joe leaned forward, his lips along the edge of Ben’s ear. “But you’re the one I want to play with, Benny Boo.” He cooed softly, his lips wrapping around the soft lobe of his ear.

Ben let out a much needier groan, his head jerking to the side so they were face to face. “Joe? Fuck, what are you doing here?” He asked, his hands coming to settle on his hips, keeping him in close. “Was this Gwilym’s plan all around? Sly bastard.”

“He got you some half-pretty female, but I sort of shooed her away,” Joe answered him, wrapping his arms around Ben’s neck. He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. The blond attempted to deepen it, his hand lifting to remove the blindfold, but Joe stopped him. “Hey, hey. I’m not done with you yet.”

Even with the blindfold on, Ben quirked a brow, his mischievous smile bright and curious. “Oh yeah?”

Joe hummed, pulling away from him. Standing to his feet, he moved around the chair, going to undo the knot and remove the blindfold. Rather than tossing it away, Joe brought it down and pulled back Ben’s arms, trying the fold around his wrist to keep his arms behind his back.

“I was a boy scout for a long time, Benny. You can’t undo these knots.” He whispered in the blonde's ear, moving back around and going to his phone. Finally making a decision, Joe pressed play on the song of his voice, placing his phone down as the music began to play over the speaker.

“Oh, you must be joking.” Ben chuckled lowly as the first chords of “Gimme, Gimme” streamed through the portable speaker.

“Oh, I’m not.” Joe retorted, trying to sound as confident as humanly possible even though he wasn’t. Physical anxiety has plagued him since he was a child, always missing hits on the baseball field or being the scrawniest kid in his gym class. Now, living with Ben, and also being pregnant, did not much help him feel the best about his body. Perhaps it was just the alcohol that made him slightly more confident in this moment or, crazy as it may seem, he wanted to prove, maybe not through words but through his actions, how much he loved this man he was to marry in three mere days. And choosing this song meant the world to both of them. It was the song that played in the background as they first locked eyes - where they threw caution to the wind and took hold of the other, never letting go for the rest of the night. The night where their daughter was conceived. This song meant the world.

Joe started out his dance simple. Or was it going to be a strip tease? Joe would make the decision along the way. Right now his focus was to show how much Ben meant as much to him as the song dancing in the wind. Walking around, his hand playfully danced from one shoulder to the other. He mouthed the lyrics as best he could with the alcohol buzz still running through his veins.

Around the second round of the chorus, Joe decided that, since they are on this roof alone, so far up from any onlookers, he would strip. That is, after all, what Gwilym paid for. He didn’t know how much he was willing to take off in this open space but he was sure Ben would soak up anything Joe was will to do for him.

First was his jacket. A brown, leather jacket that, of course, Ben got from one of his designers. It was an “after pregnancy” gift since it was two sizes smaller than what he wore in his last few months of being pregnant with Clara.

One sleeve, then the other. He threw it on the ground. He didn’t care all too much about designer jackets receiving a bit of dirt on them. Underneath the jacket was a green striped colored shirt that clung to him in all the places Ben loved - his biceps - his pecks. As Joe glanced down for a moment on whether to take it off right after the jacket or shake his hips a little more to the beat before removing the next bit, Joe shrugged and pulled up only a bit of the bottom of his tee, revealing his stomach, a small bit of chub in the center, through Ben thought it was the cutest thing. His pregnancy scar was still hidden by his black dress pants, though he’ll be taking off those pants soon enough.

When Joe geared his eyes toward the blond, Ben licked his lips. Joe strolled over, standing in front of Ben with a smirk on his lips. Ben’s face was met with Joe’s stomach and Ben leaned over as much as he could to give him light kisses. Joe giggled, feeling far more ticklish than normal because this was the only sensation that was being given to him. So often is Ben the leader, even in bed. Sure, Joe did have his moments, such as when he initiates sex through a playful text but it was Ben who did most of the wooing. It was always Ben. And he thanked whatever God up there for doing it. Joe would still be alone and childless without Ben.

Without another thought to preoccupy him, Joe stepped back, unbuttoning every single of those damn collared shirt buttons. Ben must be soaring. Joe did not wear an undershirt under the shirt. His chest was bare, little ginger hairs sprawled at the center of his chest, as well as down the line that lead to his belly-button.

Joe decided to look up half-way through unbuttoning and Ben was already eye-fucking him hard. “Joe…you are better than you think,” he heard the blond say.

Joe took off the last button but kept the shirt on his sides. “You are just saying that because my shirt is almost off.”

“I don’t know….your strut was definitely on beat, love.” Joe suppressed his need to roll his eyes at how sweetly English he was sometimes.

When Joe’s shirt was all the way off and to the side, Joe straddled the blond once more, the last minute of Gimme, Gimme blaring. Joe tried his hardest to grind against the blond to the beat. Ben groaned far too loud in response.

“You like that?” Joe sounded so coy, so confident. Maybe he could be like this from time to time. Rarely but there was a chance.

“Joe, I am the hardest I’ve ever been,” Ben grunted, his arms shaking behind him, locked into position by a knot, clearly begging to help Joe grind and find a sweet rhythm for them both.

“Is it because your hands are tied up? You into bondage now?” Joe questioned with a raised brow.

“No…..well, yes but no….you are doing this for me and that…that alone makes me so hard for you.” Ben pouted and whined, hoping that Joe would take pity on him.

“Oh, don’t pout like that. You remind me of our daughter and this is not the time to think of her. Now I know where she gets it..” Joe could no longer look at the pout Ben gave, so he craned his neck to start sucking on Ben’s sweet spot, which was right below his left ear.

Ben let out a deep-throated moan, almost animalistic because it has been a while that Joe’s paid attention to that sweet spot but fuck the world if Joe would ever forget where that spot was on his lover. It always came in handy when he wanted something and right now, he wanted to get Ben off.

“Joe…please,” Ben said through sharp, heated breaths.

“Please what?” Joe said so innocently as he stopped kissing the spot to pull his pants down. He didn’t remember when he decided to go commando for the night but both Joe and Ben were surprised when there was nothing to be left unseen.’

“Please...let me shag you, love... I can’t wait for my wedding night.” Ben explained, oh so whiny, even though Joe was already moving toward the blond to help him with his pant zipper. Since he had the knots around his arms, it would be difficult to get off his top half but really, all he needed was the bottom half.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Joe smirked, lifting a hand to direct Ben to look at him instead of his naked lower half, now straddling the blond once again. The ginger bit, nipped, licked at his lover’s lips. His tongue probed the inside of his mouth, allowing Joe's tongue to take over for the next song on Joe’s new “Get Ben off” Playlist - “Touch Me.”

The two men stayed like this for a good while, Joe initially palming at his lover’s cock. Then when it was practically bursting, Joe released it and took it in his hand. Ben continued to whine because he knew if Joe even touched his member for that long without giving it its favorite entrance spot, Ben would be so sad. Sex always followed a jerk off, with the exception of doctor’s orders or really early on in their relationship.

Once, during a very heated makeout session during Clara’s nap time, Ben pulled away to tell Joe that he had a dream now of having his cock so far up Joe’s ass tonight that he could taste it. Joe initially wanted to respond with an “ew” but, at this point, Joe wasn’t given the go to have sex yet. His scars were still healing and even though he didn’t birth Clara the “natural” way, the area still needed time to recuperate from having a fetus inside for nine months. So, Joe let out a loud groan, straddled the blond and jerked him hastily, as if their child were to wake up any second.

“Fuck, I didn’t bring any lube...I didn’t think this through…” Joe cursed aloud. Even though his eyes were hooded, Ben gave his husband-to-be a smirk at his frustrated little grimace. Suddenly a lightbulb went off and he knew exactly what to do in this case.

Without much conversing, Joe went ahead with his bright idea and pulled Ben’s pants down and off. “Don’t you dare cum when I’m on my knees.” The ginger warned as he went on his knees. He used Ben’s pants to cushion his legs from the concrete rooftop. If pregnancy taught him anything, it was to cushion everything, even if you aren’t pregnant anymore. 

Ben was about to say something when Joe took the length of Ben’s cock into his mouth. Ben let out muffled curses as Joe was able to have his lover’s cock reach the back of his throat again and again. Ever since seeing them both naked, Rami would bring up how different Ben and Joe’s cocks were. The ginger and blond didn’t really think about it. They used their members to make each other feel good - no judgment on which one had more girth or was longer. According to Rami, Joe was longer but Ben had more girth, which makes Rami flabbergasted to this day at how the hell Joe can take that with such a small hole. “Oh, yee have little faith, Malek,” Joe said with a wink, Ben across the room, stifling a chuckle. 

Joe’s job right at this moment was to wet his cock as much as possible so that he wasn’t completing barebacking it. This would be the first time. First time for “bondage” and first time barebacking. Ah, barebacking on top of Gwilym’s rooftop - how romantic.

After a long lick along the shaft, Joe kissed the tip and put on his worst British accent, “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

“Sod off,” Ben responds with a groan, knowing that Joe is clearly making fun of the time Ben sucked him off in a dressing room. 

When Joe deemed Ben wet enough, Joe stood up and held his fingers out for the blond, “Suck ‘em” he commanded and Ben did exactly what he was told. He knew what Joe was intending to do. Because Ben was so good at it, Ben stared so intensely at the ginger as he sucked eagerly on Joe’s two fingers. 

Wet enough for his liking, Joe took the two fingers, craned his arm back and used the slickness of his tips to open himself up a bit. It wasn’t that they didn’t have sex in the last week. But it has been a few days.

As he fingered himself, Joe preoccupied his lips with Ben’s. “You going to be alright, love?” Ben requested as the two parted for a moment to breathe. There was a bit of butterfly in Joe’s stomach as Ben, who still had alcohol in his system, had enough sense in him to reject the first stripper and make sure his second stripper, his husband-to-be, wouldn’t be in too much pain if he took it bareback.

“Barebacking is nothing compared to contractions. I’ll be just fine, Benny.” Joe gave him a quick peck on the lips as a thank you before releasing Ben from getting himself into position. Grabbing hold of the thick cock, he lowered himself onto his lover. Ben was so clearly enjoying this - no condom or lube to separate the feeling of being inside his man. Thank god Joe went on the 3-month birth control shot or Joe would be pregnant again in no time.

And they were. Ben still whined about not having his hands to grab hold of Joe and even help him through his thrust. Instead, he demonstrated how he really felt through lost breaths, Moans and groans. He let Joe be the one to do most of the rising and sinking but one or twice when Joe was out of breath or not finding the right angle, Ben jutted his hips upwards, which had the ginger soaring.

Ben tried to muffle some of his moans and groans but Joe encouraged him, welcoming his best friend, Rami, possibly hearing them. And oh, did he. 

Right as Ben was about to climax, Joe furiously bounding on top of his lover’s lap, Rami went to check on them and got quite a sight. Men fucking and one of them even climaxing. Rami, like Joe, questioned how it was possible that even Ben’s utterances during climax could sound so pose but they were - well, for the most of part. Except for the very last utter, which was at least two octaves above his range. That’s when you know Ben is really seeing stars. 

“Baby….are Ben and Joe all right up there?” Lucy said innocently as Rami came back to her side on a long, leather couch in Gwilym’s living room.

“Luc…..what do you think of bondage?” He asked with no context for her to go off from, even though he saw an eyeful of it upstairs from the boys.

“I’m not really into it, sorry…..” Lucy’s hand reached up and began to play with her boyfriend’s black curls, Rami beginning to pout, then becoming agitated as he seemed to be the only one to hear or acknowledge that Joe was now climaxing, saying something along the lines of “Awefuckinshitbenny.”

Rami pulled away from Lucy’s side, standing up once again to find a drink to take a swing from. Whatever it was, it stung on his throat but he felt its effect almost immediately.

From the corner of his eye, Rami saw Ben and Joe, fully clothed, enter the room. Well, sort of. They were in the doorway to the living room, Ben’s arms finally released so that he can wrap his arms around his best friend, lover, husband-to-be and his lips on their favorite point - that damn collarbone that has been peppered with hickeys so much that Rami had to give Joe some makeup before a meeting with possible actors/actresses or producers and media influencers.

Clearly only Rami saw the gays (or whatever they were) because Lucy cocked her head to the side, then shook her head at her clearly frustrated boyfriend, “Rami, you still didn’t tell me how the grooms-to-be are!" 

Rami spun on his heels, belting “WHY CAN’T I FUCK ON A ROOFTOP?” as Ben and Joe finally left their spot at the entrance of the living room and strolled deeper into the room. Oh, poor Rami. Always poor Rami. No stripper, no sex on the rooftop. Maybe it was worth it to marry this blond, clingy boy-toy. Joe would get everything and Rami would get...straight sex. Eh.


	2. My Love, My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter will have its own rating. This one is sweet and innocent, a simple G. Please enjoy!

Joe had no idea what he wanted for his wedding. He didn’t put much thought into it as he grew up. He always figured if he ended up with a woman he would let her make all the decisions and if he ended up with a man, then they’d keep it pretty simple. He didn’t want a big white wedding like his sister and brother had. So long as friends and family were involved, he would have been fine with heading straight to Vegas or even just to the town hall to get the paper signed and such.

 

But he wasn’t marrying a woman and he wasn’t marrying just some guy. He was marrying Ben. Ben, who was the love of his life, the second father to their beautiful baby girl, the man that made his heart race faster and faster with every look and every smile. 

 

Ben wanted a giant wedding despite having no one really on his own side. He didn’t bother inviting his parents and he didn’t have any other family. A handful of friends that came from Europe or from his long career in the business. Pretty models that were nice to look at and would make their party look a hell of a lot better compared to Joe’s own side. 

 

His family was big and loud and Italian. They expected things to be fun and traditional, despite the fact that Joe literally had a baby inside him a little over a year later. 

 

They agreed to put the two together, choosing a nice location in Joe’s home town, inviting everyone they wanted and accepting anybody who was willing to make the distance. There wasn’t a general theme to the wedding, but their color scheme was blue and green, something similar to Ben’s eye color; the gorgeous flow that was similar to the changing ocean. 

 

It would be a nice affair though Joe wouldn’t be lying if he said he would have rather had just gone to Vegas if it meant skipping all the bullshit separation. He knew it was tradition, but being forced into a hotel, miles away from his husband and then another few miles away from his daughter was absolute torture. 

 

They worked as a team to put together that whole transitional deal. The something old was the bracelet Ben had given to Joe when he proposed and the cuff links John had given to Joe that belonged to their dad. The something new was the wristband that Joe had bought Ben as a wedding gift that had Clara’s birthstone on it, while Joe’s something new was the tie clip his sister had bought him. 

 

Their something borrowed was from Gwilym, each wearing a boutonniere clip that he had from his grandmother all the way back in Wales. And the something blue was the flower attached to the clip. 

 

Joe’s own suit was a deep navy, which fit him rather well not that he had worked very hard to get his pre-baby body back. Granted, he also did work a little harder to get a pre-pre-baby body since his fiancé had to look like an absolute beast. They went to the gym often enough and it was nice. It was bonding them. 

 

And yeah, sex also burnt off some calories so they did that too, whenever they had a chance. With a one and a half-year-old, it was rather had to actually have a bit of alone time, though neither seemed to care. Clara was their whole world and nothing else mattered when they were around. 

 

Which is why it was absolute torture to be apart of them for the evening. Joe understood being away from Ben. He hated it, but it was a tradition. It was normal, it was fine. It sucked, but he could live without him for one night (but only for one night, let’s be honest). 

 

Being away from his daughter was cruel and unusual. He had FaceTimed her, listening to her attempt to explain to him that she was having dinosaur chicken nuggets with grandma and daddy couldn’t have any. She was grasping a few new words each and every day but hearing her attempt to do full sentences was absolutely adorable. 

 

She missed Daddy and Papa (or Da and Ba — not Pa — p’s were hard, all right), but she was happy to be with grandma, who was without a doubt spoiling her endlessly. 

 

He snuck away to call Ben, reminding him that he loved him and that if he was going to run away, that would be fine, but if he takes Clara, he’ll hunt him down. He was kidding — sort of. Ben laughed so that was all that mattered. Joe loved that laugh, loved everything about that man. 

 

And when morning came and they were shuffled off to the venue, he knew it wouldn’t be much longer until the two were finally married. 

 

Once again, Joe had been sent away, refused entry to all the place he wanted to go. Rami was standing guard for the ladies room, where Lucy and his mother were getting married with his sister and daughter. He had tried sneak by. Rami wasn’t bigger than him, he could sneak away without anyone truly noticing. 

 

Except he did, because Lucy made sure of it. 

 

“If you get in that room, I don’t get to touch her. And she’s not wearing a bra under that dress man,” Rami told him, bracing himself between Joe and the door. “Just go back to your room and finish up.”

 

“That’s my daughter, Rami. You can’t keep her from me!” 

 

“Twenty minutes you clinger!” Rami mentioned, kicking Joe away as he tried to slip past. 

 

“You can’t kick me, it’s my wedding day!” 

 

“Get out of here before I get the pepper spray!” 

 

Joe let out a groan, storming back off down the hallway. He counted the room numbers, trying to remember which one it was Ben’s. He went with 19 — the date his daughter was born and knocked gently. 

 

Gwilym stood at the open door and Joe knew he had chosen right. “Oh hey. Looking good, Gwil.” 

 

“Nope.” 

 

The doctor slammed the door on him without a second thought, without a second word. Joe let out a whine, banging his fist against the door like an annoyed child. 

 

“Come on! I haven’t seen him in days! I just wanna make sure he isn’t running away with Allen.” 

 

“Allen is quite happy with me, thanks,” Gwilym shouted through the door. “We’ll see you at the end of the aisle, Joe.” 

 

“I hate you. My daughter’s birth paid for your new car, you know!”

 

“Go away, little man!” 

 

“UGH! I hate everyone here!” Joe snapped, romping off and going back to his room. He sat alone with his brother until finally (fucking finally) it was time to go. Gwilym and Ben would be at the end waiting for them. John walks down with Mary and Lucy. Rami was to walk with Clara and then finally, Joe would go down with his mother. 

 

Joe was doing everything he could to peep down from the back, wanting to get a look at his precious baby girl as she went down, spoiling flower petals along the way. Clara was very specific about how she wanted the flowers to go.

 

When it was Joe’s turn to walk down, he held his mother’s arm, breathing slowly as they walked the long white mile. Ben was in white and navy, looking absolutely wonderful. His hair was brushed back and he looked as handsome as ever. 

 

However, it was the small girl standing off to the side in the fluffy green and blue dress that made her look like she was swaying in the ocean. 

 

“Da! Da did it!” Clara cheered, showing off her empty basket. They had practiced it for weeks on end, wanting her to get it right and she did perfectly at it. He had never been so proud of his entire life. 

 

When they reached the end, Joe kissed his mother’s cheek and took Ben’s hand, squeezing it tightly as he broke his gaze from his daughter. “She’s so fucking cute!” He mouthed, unable to stop himself from it. 

 

“I know,” Ben said, looking just as proud. He winked to their daughter, waving to her as she giggled and hide behind Rami’s leg.

 

The ceremony itself was short and sweet because it didn’t have to be anything long and dramatic. They didn’t need speeches or even anything of the sort. They didn’t need to preach their love to one another in front of the world or their friends or their family. Clara was the product of their love and that was enough for them.

 

So when it came time to do their vows, they didn’t write these long-winded soliloquies or take out passages from books or the Bible. They spoke from the heart and that was all they needed to do. 

 

“I’ve loved you from the moment we met and probably long before that. I promise to love you and care for you for as long as you’ll allow me and probably even longer than that.”

 

“You’ve given me the gift of love and family, something I had completely closed myself off to for a very long time. I will stand by you for as long as the sun keeps shining.” 

 

Ben had given Joe the bracelet in exchange for an engagement ring, so all that was left was the wedding bands. They kept them simple; white gold with a small giant in the middle that always seemed to catch the light, even in the darkness. They slid the rings on carefully, both bouncing on their toes until they were finally allowed to pull one another in and kiss each other as husbands. 

 

Their kiss was passionate and sweet, both unable to stop themselves from smiling like a couple of fools. They broke away with a shove, Ben taking his hand and leading him back down the aisle and back to the room that Joe had been barred from earlier. 

 

They were given five minutes before they were to be rushed out to take pictures and for those five minutes, all they did was a kiss. They were careful not to wrinkle their clothing, but that didn’t matter much. Two days apart and they were acting like a couple of horny teenagers, their lips red and slightly swollen when they have finally pulled apart and ushered outside to take pictures in the garden. 

 

Ben did his whole model thing, raised an eyebrow and pouty lips. Joe just smiled like the happy moron he was, eventually getting tired of his husband looking like a Greek God and basically sent him away so Joe could do the family pictures he promised his mother. 

 

They did the usual mom and son and then sibling pictures. Some with his nieces and nephews until finally, he wanted Clara to join in. Joe was looking around a bit until he finally caught sight of his daughter, standing beside Lucy and Rami by the fountain. The latter, who was on official Clara Watching Duty, was standing there soaking wet, making a small puddle on the ground.

 

“Hey so. She’s fine. I caught her.” Rami laughed off, though he sounded a bit uneasy. 

 

“Dada! Moneys!” Clara lifted her hand, showing off the coins she had collected from the fountain. 

 

“She almost fell in stealing money from the fountain?” Joe asked, though behind him Ben was just laughing happily. 

 

“That’s a lot of moneys, babe,” Ben said, scooping the girl up in his arms, the dress ruffling around her. “Seventeen cents! How about this? Take a picture with daddy and grandma and I’ll give you a whole dollar?” 

 

Clara bobbed her head, handing over the coins she collected before using her tiny little legs to run off to her grandmother. Joe kissed Ben’s cheek in passing, going to snap the next few pictures before pulling the man into the shots, letting him and Clara blow them all away with their photogenic skills. 

 

Clara was growing up every day, taking after Ben in almost every day. Her hair was just a tad darker, looking more strawberry blonde than full golden and her nose was slimmer and button-like. It was the eyes she had gotten from Joe. Sparkling hazel that lit up every time her parents were in view. Right now her hair, which was finally long enough to actually style, was pushed back similar to how Ben’s was, with different diamonds and crystals all clipped around. 

 

Joe watched as she ran around with her cousins, so happy and carefree. She was the apple of his eye and Joe couldn’t imagine being happier.

 

Joe and Ben stood together, holding hands as they waited to make their entrance. Pictures had been snapped and the only thing left to do was spend their night dancing and greeting the people who came to celebrate with them. 

 

“So you’re one hundred percent on this?” Joe asked him, his thumb running along with Ben’s wedding band.

 

“A bit too late, you think?” Ben asked, raising a brow to him.

 

Joe scoffed, turning to face him. “Not the marriage, you dork. I meant taking my last name. Benjamin Mazzello is a bit of a mouthful.” 

 

“Far better than Benjamin Jones.” The blond said with a roll of his eyes. “Hardy isn’t a real name. I stole it from a book I haven’t even read because it sounded nice. You know I am done with that life, Joe. Besides, now you, me and Clara all have the same last name. Our family is complete.” 

 

Joe hummed, looking Ben up and down slowly. “Not quite.” He mentioned softly.

 

They had completely given into their lives as parenthood. All the sleepless nights and worried doctors trips were nothing to them. Every day was something to look forward to and all Joe wanted to do was carry on with the lives they had made for one another. And that included another child, though that was a discussion for another time. 

 

When their name had been called (Mr. and Mr. Mazzello — god that was going to take some getting used to) they walked in hand in hand, taking in the cheering and whistles that. Came from their friends and family. 

 

Clara clapped along with them but found herself too interested in having her dinner. Once again chicken nuggets had been added onto the list. She wasn’t a picky eater in the least, but she had her favorites and Joe wasn’t cruel enough to keep her from something she liked and try to force her into something she may not like. 

 

They decided to go against tradition a little more, letting everybody settle down and mingle before they went onto the dance floor. Ben sat with Clara, helping her eat her chicken nuggets without getting any on her dress while Joe greeted his family; changing places after a while so Ben could say hello to his friends and business associates. 

 

Rami had swooped in to play hide and seek with Clara, keeping her occupied so the two grooms could greet people together as an official married couple. It was fun, having Ben introduce him as his husband. Granted, it was either ‘husband’ or ‘baby daddy’ as he had proudly been called since the moment Clara was born. Sure, Ben was a romantic and sometimes called him ‘his soulmate’ and shit like that, but the husband was better. Husband just sounded right. 

 

When the DJ called out what it was time to have their first dance, Ben grinned wildly, going across the way to take Joe’s hand and lead him into the dance floor. The decision on their song was an easy one; a song that Ben had been singing to Joe from the moment he moved in and realized that they were meant to be together. 

 

ABBA had always been a treasured favorite of the two and the Mamma Mia 2 film was stable. One of Clara’s first words was ABBA, something Joe was quite proud of to be completely honest. 

 

“Are you happy, Mr. Mazzello?” Ben asked him as he wrapped his arms around the ginger, the sweet voices of Lily James and Meryl Steep filled the dance floor. They swayed slowly, Ben never taking his eyes off on the man that he called his love, his life. 

 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Joe teased. 

 

“You should. Please do, actually.” Ben laughed softly. 

 

“All right. Are you happy, Mr. Mazzello?” Joe questioned, moving in closer to him. 

 

Joe wasn’t sure how he could have smiled even brighter, but Ben somehow managed it. “Happy isn’t the word,” Ben told him softly, leaning in to kiss him. 

 

Their lips were together for three seconds before Ben pulled away, feeling a gentle tug at his dress pants. Clara was standing beside them, her arms lifting upwards and her hands opening and closing in her typical grabby way.

 

“Ba! Da! Up! Up! Da! Ba! Up! Uppies!” 

 

Joe laughed gently, scooping Clara up into his arms, holding her close. Her dress ruffling between himself and Ben as they swayed together as a family. Joe swooped in for another kiss, only to have two tiny hands pushing his face away. 

 

“No kiss! Ba kiss!” Clara leaned in, pressing a sloppy kiss to Ben’s cheek. 

 

“Excuse you. It’s my wedding day.” Joe said, sounding more offended than he was. 

 

Clara giggled, leaning from his arms to rest against Ben’s shoulder. Joe rolled his eyes, but he didn’t mind. She was a Papa’s girl through and through and Joe loved every moment of it. 

 

They continued on their dance before letting Clara fun off and play with the other kids. They stumbled upon Rami and Lucy having a mini fight over Rami losing Clara during their dance — “Lucy, I fell into a FOUNTAIN earlier today, can you give me a break!?” 

 

After about an hour or so, Joe’s mother hurried over, ready to take Clara from Ben so the two could head off to whatever hotel they had booked for the night. 

 

“We didn’t book a room for the night,” Joe told her matter of factly. “We figured we’d head back with you, stay in my old room.” 

 

“Are you sure? Those walls are pretty thin, Joseph.” His mother told him carefully. 

 

“I promise Mrs. Mazzello, we won’t be doing anything completely scandalous,” Ben promised, running his hand up and down Clara’s back as she began to settle against him. 

 

“Ben dear, I already told you. Call me mom or Virginia.” She said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. 

 

“Thank you, mummy.” Ben gushed gently. 

 

“Okay, don’t make it weird,” Joe muttered. “It’s my wedding night, I don’t need to hear your sexy accent calling my mother ‘mommy.’”

 

“Would you rather I call you mummy? Or would you prefer to be my daddy?” Ben asked him a curiosity. 

 

“Maybe we should get that room after all,” Joe asked, his eyes falling onto Ben’s beautifully pouty lips. 

 

Clara reached out again, shoving Joe’s face away as if she could tell what he was thinking. “No kissy Ba! Mine!” She whined out softly, the tiny thing getting grouchy from lack of sleep. 

 

It had been a long day and Lucy said the small girl never once took a nap during the entire event. So without bothering to say goodbye to his friends or family, they loaded their little warrior princess up in the car and took her back to Joe’s childhood home with his mom. 

 

It took a bit of time to get everybody settled; all the clips in Clara’s hair was a bit of a bitch to remove without her whining and hanging up the suits and her dress was troublesome too, especially after the few drinks both men decided to have to celebrate. 

 

By the time they finally got together and crawled into bed, all of them wearing their family pack of dinosaur pajamas, it was nearly two in the morning. Clara, even in her tired state, remained away until her Ba went off to grandma’s room to retrieve her stuffed animal (an armadillo that Joe had named Simon) and handed it off to her. 

 

With her best friend and parents by her side, Clara swiftly fell off to sleep. 

 

Joe and Ben stayed awake for a little while longer, just watching her as they fell into a quiet bliss. 

 

“Hey,” Joe spoke softly, catching Ben’s eyes in the dim light. “I love you.” 

 

Ben leaned over the toddler, pressing his lips to Joe’s for a tiny kiss before going to snuggle in beside the small girl; Joe swiftly falling into place beside them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, is it everything you hoped it would be? Please look forward to more from this gorgeous family!
> 
> Find us on tumblr (WriteYourOwnLifeStory & ThatSpunkyDwarf)
> 
> Ask us anything!


	3. Vacation -- All I Ever Wanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to those who saw an update and then found nothing new. I made the mistake of posting something without speaking with my co-writer and she was NOT pleased. 
> 
> The perfectionist in this duo needs things to be in order...
> 
> Anyway! Hopefully, this makes up for it! 
> 
> Serious E rating for this okay?

It took Joe about an hour to get Ben out of the outside. On the outside, Ben was the guy that everyone found irresistible but also, unapproachable because of how good he looks. Literal model material. People assumed that, if they were to approach him, he would be rude and snobby. He would think too highly of himself with his nose constantly up in the air. Hell, that’s what Joe thought the night they shared the dance floor...and couch...and bed together.

 

In reality, yes, he was a model but he was the most down to earth soul you ever met. He was also #1 Dad material. Of course, he had a career of modeling and even acting in some commercials and non-speaking roles in TV shows like Law & Order but nothing was as important as his daughter and his husband. Joe would roll his eyes hard at this statement, even though he knew deep down that this statement rung true.

 

Their wedding was everything and more. As the men made their way to the airport (after each gave their daughter a very long cuddle session and thousands of butterfly kisses on her forehead and cheek), Joe complimented Ben on how well of a job as the wedding planner and that everyone was blowing up his phone from the night before, telling the ginger how much fun they had, how great the food was and how in love and so darn happy the husbands looked on their special day.

 

Ben simply blushed, taking the hand of his husband with ease as they made it through Customs. Now that Ben had dual citizenship (thanks to marriage), he no longer needed a work visa. Ben assured the ginger that the marriage was never about the green card but damn, does it make it easier to stay in the states.

 

“I’m so excited to go to Greece...I’ve never been,” Joe admitted, rubbing his palms together as they took their seats at the assigned gate.

 

“Funny. You’ve been to the UK and Italy but never made it to Greece...it’s truly a sight to see...we must thank Allen again when we return for the suggestion.” Ben returned his hand to lace with Joe’s. Joe knew he was a hopeless romantic but today’s PDA was a little over the daily amount. Joe cocked an eyebrow at his new husband and Ben just gave him his 1,000-watt smile, blaming it touchy-feelyness on the fact that they were married. “Sure, Jan.”

 

Two flights later and the boys were in Greece. The first flight was the longest. They tried to sleep but then Jurassic Park was one of the options for Movies to Watch and Joe couldn’t stop himself from giving his husband, who had heard this multiple times, give a blow by blow.

 

There was a two-hour layover in Munich, Germany. It gave them time to eat, exchange dollars for Euros and give one another the taste of what was to (literally) come during the next couple of days by rubbing one out in the men’s bathroom. They pumped each other in a small stall in the back of the restroom (because it would be rude to take up the handicap stall for more room - they weren’t assholes). They giggled and hummed, remarking how they felt like schoolboys experimenting. They don’t know why they did it. All they knew was that they both had to go to the bathroom, decided to share the same stall and ended up with their tongues wrapped around each other and their fists ravaging each other’s cocks.

 

Thanks (and no thanks) to the time difference, they arrived on the small island near the mainland of Greece around midday. They had planned to ravage each other as newlyweds do but they did not fall asleep for more than an hour on both flights, so they unpacked some of their belongings and took a cat nap, both of their bodies sprawled out on the bed like starfish.

 

Ben, like always, rose from his slumber first. He decided to get a taste of the island, leaving a note for his new husband that he would be taking a jog and that he’d be back in time for dinner with groceries in hand. Joe’s only instructions were to change into something nice and also have an idea of what they should cook for dinner so that Ben could buy all the right necessities.

 

“Honey, I’m home,” Ben reported, snorting at how ridiculous it sounded. The two men had been living together for over two years but being newlyweds still made everything so new, so Ben couldn’t help but be a bit of sap during their holiday.

 

“OK. Now you are just ridiculous.” Joe responded, strolling over to grab the groceries from the blond’s hands. “Thanks for making me sleep in,” The ginger leans in to give Ben a peck on the lips, “You don’t realize how much a wedding, plus a flight takes out of you.”

 

Ben nodded, laying out some of the groceries on the kitchen table, “Yeah. We are used to going away for a weekend at most. But never something as big as a wedding plus an over 10-hour trip from the US to Europe.”

“You think we have enough food to last us the next few days?” Joe counted up all the ingredients needed for tonight and then some.

 

“I have no doubt. Plus, let’s be honest, love. We won’t be spending much time eating.” Ben gave his husband a side-eye, followed by a coy smirk. Joe rolled his eyes before throwing an olive at his man. It did not faze the blond at all. In fact, he continued, “Well...we will be eating but I wouldn’t consider it food…”

 

Joe stopped setting up the table to come around to the other side to give his husband a playful push on the shoulder, “What happened to the cutesy Papa I’ve come to know and love?”

 

Ben stepped close into Joe’s bubble, hands coming to firmly grasp Joe’s waist, “He’s on holiday…” With this, Joe let at a groan. It was a mix of being so turned on he would strip for the man right then and there and also a groan of ‘Oh my fuckin god, this is so cheesy we have become like every other tooth-achingly sweet, yet sexy couple on the goddamn planet.

 

Ben took that groan and ran with it, closing the space between them, pressing their lips together and letting his tongue begin to probe within seconds of contact. Ben wrapped Joe into his space, even more, Joe’s chest against his and his backside awkwardly pinned against the kitchen table. Ben could sense this discomfort and moved their makeout session to the nearby wall.

 

Moments later, Joe broke the kiss to speak a word, “Dinner?”

 

Ben shook his head, his eyes dark and hooded now. “You hungry?”

 

Joe mimicked the blond’s head movement, “Not anymore…” As he responded, Ben began to trace kisses along the ginger’s jawline. Joe hummed in approval.

 

“Actually, I’m hungry for something else…” Ben lifted his head to make eye contact with Joe. Joe did not respond with words. Instead, he bit his lip, already know exactly what the blond was getting at - after two years together, the way in which their bodies responded to each other...what the other needed at that very moment, was like second nature - not many words needed to be exchanged to know exactly what the other wanted.

 

Ben’s kisses continued to trail down to the ginger’s collarbone, spending extra time kissing, nipping at it - even biting it to ensure that a mark was to be left there. All the while, his hands worked with ease, stripping the man of his button down, his white tank top underneath before he began to work on his jeans.

 

Ben paused and gave a raised brow to his husband when he realized he wasn’t wearing undergarments, “Joe...where are your knickers?”

 

The dark ginger shrugged, “Didn’t think I would need them.”

 

Now it was Ben’s turn to groan, “This trip is going to be the death of me….you’d be pregnant by the end of it if it wasn’t for your shot.”

 

“God bless modern medicine” The ginger stated, sighing in relief when Ben sprung his cock free from his jeans. The ginger was ready to help the blond out of his clothes when the blond made up his own mind and went to his knees.

 

“Kick the jeans off to the slide, lean against the wall and spread your legs a bit for me, love.” The way Ben instructed the ginger with his deep, fuckin sexy-ass British accent made Joe’s cock twitch, doing what he was told all the while.

 

Joe would often admit that Ben had a talent for sucking cock. Or sucking or licking anything really. Joe was blessed with long fingers and a large mouth to give a good fingering and also to take in the width of a larger cock while Ben was blessed with a talented, large tongue and a girthier cock that could his one’s prostate again and again without much of a shift in angle.

 

Ben discovered a few months into their relationship that the ginger loved to talk to dirty but not hear it as much. He hated Ben trying to take to his cock or ass but adored when Ben kept his contact on as pumped him or took him into his mouth. He admitted once that he’d slap the blond again if he tried to greet his member but that he did love when he played extra attention to the tip and slit. Ben took note to that every time after.

 

Ben spent a good while circling the tip and licking a wide strip along the dripping tip. Joe whimpered, one hand on the blond’s shoulder and the other combing through his hair. “Fuckin’ shit Ben...take it in,” Joe instructed softly with a groan.

 

Ben did as he was told and stopped playing with the tip to take as much length as his smaller mouth could bare. Ben might have the girth but Joe surpassed him in length and it admittingly turned Ben on even more.

 

Ben made sure to gaze up at his man all the while, licking long strips around all dimensions of the cock. He quickened the pace of his head jerks up and down his length when Joe was completely hard and ready - so ready that Joe went a bit over and pushed the back of Ben’s head into his cock too hard that Ben gagged in response.

 

Joe immediately released his hand from Ben’s head and asked if he was OK. “Do it again,” Ben answered with red, pouty lips. Joe whined his cock twitching and aching for release as the blond begged to take his full length, even if he couldn’t take it without his gag reflex coming into play.

 

Once Ben was back into position, Joe forced Ben’s head back to take the full length. Ben gagged again but not as aggressive as before. This must have encouraged him even more that he continued to try to push himself to get used to taking it all. Somehow, Ben didn’t stop there because, while already having his mind blown by Ben attempting to take his full length, Ben’s fingers snaked their way beyond his balls and probed a finger instead. Joe yelped at the entrance but then begged the blond not to stop. “K-keep going.”

 

At such instructions, Ben probed a second finger in, his throat still taking a beating. Ben continued this act until Joe had become a babbling mess of a man, begging the blond out of his clothes and inside him. “As you wish.”

 

Joe did not have to pump the blond when he removed his fingers to let out his own cock. Ben was hard as a rock and ready let the ginger feel every single inch of him. “Right here?” The blond questioned.

 

“Right here...get the lube.” With clothes stripped, Ben swiveled around to grab a container of lubricant that he bought from the convenience store next to the food market.

 

“You want to face me, love?” Ben lathered his fingers up generously as he waited for the ginger’s answer.

 

“I’ll hold you, yeah?” Ben and Joe had no probably having chats such as these. After all, they started out with Joe pregnant, so many positions had to be walked through and modified a bit to manage Joe’s growing belly. Now that he wasn’t expecting, they could do whatever they wanted but Ben and Joe still took their time to go over what worked best for them or what the other desired at that very moment.

 

“On the count of three and, you guide me in.” Ben had no trouble lifting Joe, who was an inch taller but also carried less body weight than his younger counterpart. Joe swore that he’d hit the gym right after he had Clara but work got in the way and he still didn’t meet Ben’s physique. Ben adored Joe’s body all the same. He also finds a deep-seated pleasure in being able to lift his man with ease, especially when he wasn’t expecting.

 

Joe’s lankier physique made it oh so easy for Joe to crane his arm and guide the blond in. Joe moaned with content as the length of his man went in and beyond his entrance.

 

This position did not give much for Joe to do, however. Most of the work as on Ben - to hold him up and against the wall and to thrust. So Joe decided to use his time wisely, having on hand pressed against the wall while the other held on to his man. He used to lips for kissing and saying the filthiest of things to him. Joe was the first of Ben’s long-term relationships to be comfortable and willing enough to talk in bed. It took Joe six weeks after Clara’s birth to try really dirty talk his man into climax. Any prior relationship never dared. Joe’s sounds of pleasure combined with his dirty words greatly helped Ben’s performance and he knew it.

 

_Takemyasshole. Takemyassholelikeyoutookmyfuckincock. Cumdeepinsidemeyoufuckinanimal. Strainthewalls. Makemecumonyouandlickit-ooh_

 

Joe could not finish his words. Ben found his rhythm, his angle and soon Joe was screaming at Ben hitting his prostate again and again and again and again.

 

Joe could no longer control his body. Pleasure washed over him and he was a puddle in Ben’s grasp, his legs shaking as they were wrapped around his husband’s waist. He was so out of this world that he did not warn Ben that he was cumming and came hard on their abdomens.

 

The shaking of Joe’s body and the cum that was not plastered on his body was enough to make Ben cum as well. He was so out of breath, his arms trembling from the pleasure and weight of his man that he could only warn about his release by biting down on his lover’s collaborate. As Joe cursed, Ben cam, no condom to prevent his load from filling Joe up till he was dipping on the floor.

 

Somehow, Ben had enough energy and coordination to gently lower Joe back to a standing position. Joe gave him a sweet peck on the lips as thanks then took his time grabbing a washcloth and cleaning his hole as well as Ben’s stomach.

 

“I thought you were going to lick it off,” Ben remembered. Joe started to wipe his own stomach when he remembered. Oops.

 

“I guess you drove me into such oblivion that I forgot what I said before that...sorry.” Joe chuckled a bit, going to the sink to wash and drain the washcloth. Ben took hold of his briefs and slid them on with ease.

 

“Love...are you going to fully-cloth again for dinner? You don’t have your _underwear_.” Ben attempted his best American accent at the last word but failed miserably as always.

 

“I was thinking about it…” Joe nodded but Ben came back from his spot by the sink to the spot where they aggressively made love, wrapping around Joe from behind, “I think you should stay just like this. Not often that I get to drink in every inch of my husband.” He kissed sweetly behind Joe’s ear. Joe placed a hand over Ben’s, which was around his waist, “You never do...not with a practically two-year-old in the house.”

 

“Are you OK with that, love?” Ben asked, knowing Joe’s self-conscious nature. As he waited for Joe to make his decision, Ben traced a finger along the C-section scar. The scar plus his lack of a six-pack did not help Joe’s self-esteem, so Ben always tried to prove how damn good he looked regardless. “I’ll do it.”

 

<3

 

With their bellies full, the married couple used their stuffed and somber state to put away all of their luggage in their newlywed bedroom. It was a quaint cottage, about a 20-minute walk and less than that with a car to the center of the village. No other houses were around them, so they could be as loud and wild as they wanted.

 

As promised, Joe was still stark naked while Ben kept his briefs around his hips. They made their way to the bed, Ben taking a spot on his usual side of the bed while Joe seemed to go back into their suitcase, clearly preoccupied with finding something. Ben grinned, appreciating and drinking in his husband’s flushed backside.

 

“I know you are drinking the beautiful sight of my ass, Ben. Down, boy. I have something to talk to you about.” Ben grunted but looked away at his husband’s request. When Joe wiped around, he had a stack of papers in his hand. Ben cocked his head to the side. “What you got there?”

 

“Well…” Joe strolled over and made his entrance onto the bed with a bounce. “Technically our wedding gift to each other was the wedding but I actually have something else for you.”

 

Joe cautiously yet happily handed over the stack. It was a screenplay. A screenplay with folded edges and some wine stains on it. It was held together only by a clip on the left side. Ben thumbed the edges and admired how the pages told its story before reading the title.

 

“This screenplay...it’s for you. Well, it’s um..” Joe turned the page for Ben to the second. It was a dedication page. The list was simple but told the world what meant most to Joe.

 

_Dedicated to:_

 

_My father - the greatest man I will ever know. I am proud to hold your namesake and I will work every day to be the man you taught me to be._

 

_My mother - I learned to be a good son and the better father with your guidance. Thank you. I love you._

 

_Claire - To infinity and beyond, baby girl._

 

_My love - Ben, I love you with every beat of my heart. I am a better man because of you._

 

_My life - Clara. You are my everything. I give you my heart, my soul, my life to you._

 

Joe scratched the back of his head, “Heh...the story itself isn’t as sentimental but it’s the first medication I’ve ever made. The last screenplay I wrote in full was before my father died. All the other screenplays came from Rami.” Rami - who was recovering from a rash caused by poison ivy that he swears he didn’t get from trying to be healthier, trying to run with Lucy through Central Park, and falling, then tripping into a pile of the poison.

 

Ben tried to hide some stray tears at the love that was displayed upon these pages. Joe so naturally wiped the tears away and gave his husband the sweetest, most innocent kiss. “Thank you….I never thought I’d write a dedication such as this...never thought I would be on my honeymoon...never thought I’d have a child...I cannot thank you enough.”

 

Ben simply snuggled in closer to the taller man, resting his head on his shoulder, “You have.” Ben turned to the next page, “Now...spoil the story for me and start reading -- The whole thing. Right here, right now.”

 

“Oh...I don’t know.” Joe blushed. Ben raised from his learned position to push Joe’s shoulder playfully, “No...you showed me, now let’s read it. We have all the time in the world now, go. I’ll read some parts if you need me to. Start from the top, love.” Ben returned his head on his lover’s shoulder, awaiting his husband to make his wish come true and share the words on the page aloud.

 

The first few pages were of the main character, whose personality mirrored Joe’s. Ben realized that this wasn’t a story of them but apparently, Joe stopped half-way through one of the pages to tell Ben when he started writing the screenplay - “A month after you moved in...when I was seven months...I wrote some of the dedication then...but at the time, it just said, “To Mom, Dad, Ben and Baby Girl…”

 

“And here I am thinking that you just started to believe how much I love you a few months ago…” Joe laced their fingers together, the pages of the screenplay sprawled across both of their laps.

 

“I knew then...I was just so scared…” Ben reached his other hand to reveal his wedding ring, “Hey...I’m not going anywhere now….now keep going, babe.” Joe coughed away a wave of dark feelings of self-consciousness and turned to the next page of his screenplay. “Oh...I need you now.”

 

Ben read the description of the character Ben was instructed to voice, “This is me.”

 

“Yes, it is. But we are in the middle of a small town instead of NYC and I’m obviously not a screenplay writer...or ever pregnant.”

 

Ben scoffed, “Then why are we together? Please tell me they have a happy ending and have babies. I love babies.”

 

Joe snorted, “You? Babies? I wouldn’t guess since you hog our daughter and make sure to tell everyone that you have the prettiest baby in the world.”

 

“Am I wrong? We create the most beautiful children.”

 

Joe raised his brow, “Plural? Having Clara hasn’t scared you away.”

 

Ben smiled a bit too brightly, “No, never. Who knows. With the amount of fuckin’ amazing sex we have, we might create a little army of Mazzellos.”

 

Joe lifted a hand up, “Alright...let’s not go overboard.”

 

“All screaming daddy _”_ Ben let out a high-pitched version of “Daddy” in an American accent. Joe groaned, “Ass.” The ginger nudged him and the blond liked it way too much.

 

“Yes, I have one. What about it?”

 

Joe shoved his smirking face away with the next page of the screenplay, “Reeead.”

 

About an hour passed before the couple was finished with the material. They rolled around the mattress, getting up from their spots to emphasize a particular scene. Joe bowed with the last page was read and Ben clapped. “You approve.”

 

“Yes. And I think you should play yourself.” Ben crawled across the bed to pull at the tie that Joe put around his neck while reenacting one of the scenes where the couple went out on a date. Joe was clothed in nothing but this tie right now and Ben laughed every second of it.

 

Joe let himself be pulled back onto the bed but he refused Ben’s suggestion, “I’m not acting. I write for a reason, Benny.”

 

Ben rolled his eyes, “Fine but perhaps I’ll play the Brit since it is me, after all.”

 

“Oh-oh no. You are not playing the second lead. Nope.” Joe shook his head like a madman, swatting away Ben’s grasp on his tie.

 

“Why? I really need to get back into acting and this is perfect!” Ben didn’t see the problem with it until he realized that, if he was playing the Brit and Joe wasn’t playing himself, Ben would have to act with another male. Oooo - jealous Joseph.

 

Joe’s eyes began to turn red and he pouted, “I-I just don’t want you to.”

 

Ben lifted his hands in surrender. “Then I won’t.”

 

Joe nodded, his eyes darting away from his husband, “Good.”

The two settled in a bit of silence before the ginger spoke out, a bit louder than expected, “IT’S JUST THAT I DON’T WANT YOU KISSING ANOTHER GUY - I KNOW ITS ACTING BUT YOU ARE MINE.”

 

Ben gave the ginger a cheeky smile, “Yours, eh? Oh Joe, you know I love when I see this side of you.”

 

The ginger whined, “You are getting turned on right now, aren’t you?”

 

“Oh yeah.” The blond jumped off the bed.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Ben spun to reveal an already half-hard dick, “Oh, I’m just going into the kitchen for the lube.”

 

Joe’s eyes drank in Ben’s half-hard cock in his briefs and licked his lips lightly, “Get the condoms from the bag. I want to thank you properly for inspiring this screenplay.”

 

Ben couldn’t run faster into the kitchen to grab the box and lubricant. He chucked it at the ginger and it was not long before Ben’s briefs were discarded somewhere on the floor.

 

The two shared some sloppy kisses before the ginger used his hands to instruct the blond onto his stomach. “I think I want to go all out. May I?” Joe still trailed a hand town Ben’s backside until it pinched at his firm, yet perfectly curved bottom. For mostly a top, Ben had a gorgeous bottom.

 

“Be my guest.” Ben wasn’t sure what Joe was about to do. He knew he was about to make Ben bottom. And it’s been too long since he did and he was so happy Joe was in the mood to take control. But whether or not it was going to be rimmed or finger was lost of him. That is until Joe reposited himself to hover over him, lowering himself to plant kisses on Ben’s shoulder blades before traveling further down. Half-way down his spine, Joe replaced his lips with his tongue. And that tongue traveled all the way, down the dip of his spine and back up until he reached the entrance. The heat of Joe’s breath on his opening sent a shiver down the blond’s spine and he could feel Joe grin widely in response.

 

Joe took his time, spreading his ass apart, kneading it and kissing around. He was teasing and Ben was having all of it, humming in pleasure. “Joe...come on, get on with it,” Ben begged as Joe spent way too much time kissing around the spot and not using his tongue inside.

 

With that whine, Joe split his cheeks apart again and began to work his mouth inside the blond. The blond let out a high-pitch moan, oddly loving the feeling of something so wet teasing his entrance. Joe would say that his tongue is not as talented as his husbands but Ben didn’t have any other reference point. Ben had only bottomed for Joe and he was going to keep it that way from now until death does they part.

 

Ben was a moaning mess, especially when Joe somehow found a way to the rim and finger him at the same time. And oh, those fingers worked miracles - at the keyboard and in this blond’s ass.

 

Ben was reduced to begging, swearing that he’d cum from Joe’s fingers alone when the ginger decided he also had enough and rummage for a condom. Joe worked carefully to put on the protection, Ben still half-spent on the work at done with fingers.

 

Joe giggled at the sweaty mess of his man, not wanting to take him like this. Ben and Joe eventually ended up on their sides. Joe cradled Ben’s head with his forearm while the other arm held and pulled back one of the blond’s legs to open him up a bit more.

 

Ben was perhaps in some sort of delirium because he did not often like to be on his stomach or side when he bottomed. He got off by Joe getting off. In turn, Ben made sure to turn his head back, begging the ginger to merge their lips together between thrusts.

 

Joe readjusted Ben’s leg once more and this readjustment let Ben soaring, Joe’s cock grazing his prostate just right. “Right there...don’t stop, right there.”

 

Admittingly, it only took a few more thrusts in that position for Ben to shoot his load all over the mattress. Joe didn’t even need to pump him and knowing that Ben could cum just from Joe’s trusts alone made the ginger come mere seconds later.

 

Joe took a moment to catch his breath before pulling out and tieing the condom. Throwing the used rubber across the bed to a wastebasket on Ben’s side of the bed, the taller male got a good look at the clock. Almost midnight, Greece time.

 

Joe found Ben’s chest and buried his face on it, “My God. And this is only Day 1.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More coming soon!
> 
> Ps the “screen play” Joe wrote is actually my fic Dear Mr. Postman — read it if you like!


	4. (Diamonds Are) A Man's Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Here is chapter 4 aka the chapter that was up for less than 30 minutes and taken down because my co-writer needs everything to be in order. 
> 
> Please enjoy now!

Joe expected a lot from his husband. He excepted him to provide for their family, just as Joe did. He expected him to be a loving, devoted husband and father, just as he was. He expected his husband to do silly things to make him smile and blush. And he expected him to do little things that would remind Joe just how much he cared for him. 

 

The one thing he didn’t expect was to come home to find his husband and two-year-old sitting on the floor of their home playing with a dog. Not a dog, but a freaking puppy. Joe walked in after a casting session with Rami for their latest film. Once again the man was talking over for the lead and had to do a chemistry test with some of the other cast members. It was going well until Rami got a call from Lucy that made him rush out. 

 

It seemed earlier in the week the two had something of a pregnancy scare and the blonde was still shaken up about it. They had spoken about kids before and knew that they definitely wanted that sometimes, but weren’t ready for any of that; especially since their wedding was just two months away. 

 

Joe came home with coffee and treats for his loves. They had the rest of the day to be together and Joe had planned on suggesting that they go out for an early meal with the weather being so nice. Making his way into the home, he found Ben and Clara sitting on the floor like the animal in question ran between them.

 

“Ben,” Joe spoke carefully.

 

“Love! You’re home early,” Ben mentioned, sitting up in his knees.

 

“Daddy!” Clara jumped up, eagerly running to her father. “Hi, daddy!”

 

“Hey baby girl,” Joe approaches carefully, his hand settling in his daughter’s strawberry blonde hair as she wrapped her arms around his leg. He nodded toward, gesturing to the animal. “What’s this?”

 

“That’s a bubby!” Clara told him playfully.

 

“ _Puppy_ , darling.” Ben corrected. 

 

Clara was still having a bit of trouble with the P sounds though neither man worried much about it. It was adorable and something they could reminisce about when she grew out of it. 

 

“A puppy.” Joe mimicked. “I can see that. Why is there a puppy in our home?”

 

“Oh, well it’s her home too,” Ben said easily. Like it was obvious.

 

Like Joe was an idiot for asking such a dumb question. 

 

“Right. Okay. Can we talk?” Joe asked, trying to make it seem oh so very casual. 

 

“Clara, keep her company,” Ben said, running his fingers through their daughter’s fair hair before following Joe into the kitchen for a bit of privacy. 

 

“I thought we agreed to wait a bit longer before getting her a pet?” Joe questioned quietly. 

 

They had mentioned it a time or two. Their home was small for Joe, and then even smaller for Ben and Joe. With a toddler, it seemed insanely tight but they made due. And yet both men found that they wanted their daughter to be something of a pet, to teach her responsibility and to have as a friend. 

 

They had thought of perhaps a goldfish or maybe a cat. Something that a little girl would be able to handle. Not a puppy that rolled over and demanded attention and gets bigger just as an infant did. 

 

They had decided to wait until Clara was older and would be able to understand all the effort that would be needed to take care of a pet. Two years old just seemed too damn early for such things.

 

“I know, I know. Truly, adopting her wasn’t my intention.” The blond insisted. “I took Clara to the park for a bit of fresh air and a runaround.” 

 

They did that often. Took Clara out to the park or to the zoo. They wanted her to be well rounded and not just cooped up in their home all day. They didn’t have a nanny and would swap back and forth between who would be home to take care of her. They could have easily put her in some form of daycare, but they had enough money to be able to not work every moment of every day. 

 

Besides, they loved their daughter madly and both ached to be around her. They had their privacy, they went on dates and their nights alone. However, both men would agree nothing was better than spending time with their little miracle. 

 

Ben continued, bringing his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck nervously. “Turns out they were having a bit of a pet fair there and we stumbled upon that little lady.”

 

He jerked his jaw back to the living room where their toddler was sitting with the puppy. It was a beagle, small and precious with a white collar on it but no tag on it. Clara was currently trying to get the animal to roll over, though the pup just sat there, staring at her. 

 

“I wouldn’t have said yes if they didn’t have a connection, Joe.” 

 

Joe jerked up to an eyebrow looking back to his husband. “A _connection_?”

 

“Yes, Joseph! A _connection_. They saw one another through the small lines of the cage and Clara knew that was the pup for her!”

 

“She also said Scooby Doo was the pup for her.” Joe reminded him, looking back as Clara called for him. 

 

“Daddy! Look!” He pointed to where the puppy was sitting and holding her pacifier in its mouth. Clara didn’t need one often but they kept it around for days when she was ill and needed a bit of added comfort.

 

It was a cute scene, Joe had to admit. He’d definitely be throwing that pacifier out, but it was adorable, nonetheless. 

 

He looked back to Ben, sighing in retreat. “How much did it cost?”

 

“It was a donation. She’s a rescue, Joe. You know I would never buy into that pure breed bullshit.” 

 

Ben had always been an odd bird, believing in an array of different things. He loved animals wasn’t a vegan though he hates meat only three times a week. He recycled more than anyone Joe knew and hoped to live in a world filled with people that gave a damn about their own planet. He didn’t see the point in paying thousands for an animal when there were so many in need of good homes.

 

So adopting the first adorable animal he saw wasn’t a surprise to Joe. Ben would adopt all the animals in need if he could. 

 

“You have no self-control,” Joe told him outright. Like he was putting down a child that ate the whole jar of cookies instead of just taking one. “I have to stop leaving you with our child.”

 

“I know she’s still young but she’ll learn how to take care of her with time. You know our little girl, she’s practically a genius!” 

 

Both men turned to see Clara on all fours, barking at the puppy in an attempt to communicate with her in her own language. It was ridiculous and silly and absolutely adorable. 

 

Joe sighed in defeat, turning back to Ben. “Fine.” 

 

“She stays?” Ben asked, that one thousand watt smile practically beaming. 

 

“Yes, but you owe me for this.”

 

“I’ll get the _Cascabel_ menu out,” Ben mentioned, walking deeper into the kitchen to go into the draw that held the folder where they kept all their take out menus.

 

“So, does she have a name?” Joe asked, going into the living room to kneel on the floor with his daughter

 

“She’s Frankie!” Clara said proudly.

 

“She chose it herself,” Ben said from the kitchen. “Originally we thought about the name Pitcher because you know — baseball — but with the mixing of letters, you can imagine what they could have sounded like.” 

 

The redhead smirked, his heart growing at the very thought of hearing his little girl say such a terrible word in such a precious manner. 

 

“Why Frankie?” Joe asked but the little girl just shrugged. 

 

If there was anything Joe had learned from parenthood that sometimes there weren’t any answers. Sometimes you just had to take things in stride. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you loved it! Please tell us what you think below!


	5. The Prophet Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It came to our attention that the chapter that had previously been posted was not up to par with some of our readers. Mistakes were found and certain narratives seemed a bit confusing. I made the executive decision to take down the chapter and go over it a few more times, changing anything that seemed confusing and adding a bit more detail. 
> 
> I sincerely apologize to all those affected by any heinous mistakes as I suffer from a strong bout of dyslexia and find that proofreading is not my forte. And while a beta reader is ideal, this story goes between two different people who always believe the other will fix any problems. Apparently, this is not always the case. 
> 
> Hopefully, the changes will make up for the delay in uploading. Please note that this story does not have a proper schedule and will update when the chapters are completely and thoroughly edited.

Ben considers himself lucky. Lucky to be a part of the New York City life. Lucky to work for a modeling agency that was flexible enough for him to take on some acting gigs, though those consisted of most commercials or as a non-speaking background character. Lucky to have the most beautiful girl in the world. Lucky to be married to his best friend. 

 

He was also lucky to be given such a wonderful day today. It was not a special day in the slightest. He was off from work and planned on spending time with his baby girl, though Joe had a different idea, deciding to take the young girl on set with him. Clara would become Joe’s mini-director and Ben couldn’t say no. He knew how much their daughter loved Daddy/Clara time as much as she loved Papa/Clara time. And frankly, she hasn’t got enough of it between her preschool hours and her time being the center of attention at the Calvin Klein studio.

 

So there Ben sat, on the living room couch, Frankie curled up next to him and a brunet that wasn’t his husband, going on and on about how their lives have changed since their childhood.

 

“I can’t believe you are still here, honestly,” Ben admitted, tapping a finger on his phone to receive a photo from Joe of Clara giving orders to one of the crewmen.

 

Allen shook his head, a wide smile brightening his cheeks, “Well I have you to thank for that. It was your bachelor party after all. Besides, North America certainly has a lot to offer.”

 

Ben hummed in agreement. Ben was so focused on getting married that he had no idea that his best childhood friend, who had come to the US to celebrate the big event, had begun to fancy Joe’s doctor. They were close three days later at his wedding but Ben brushed it off as the two men being drunk. After all, he had no idea about who Gwilym fancied. Allen told him years about that he was gay but he never thought or cared what his doctor was. Now he knew he also fancied boys and particularly, the man that sat on the armchair across from him.

 

“Who would have thought that shy little Allen Leech would find love in the big city. Remember when you came out in 12th year? I was still straight back then.” Ben laughed softly, using his fingers to place his phone face down on the adjacent end table so that he could give Allen his full undivided attention.

 

“You were straight? I think we remember things a little differently.” Allen teased playfully. “Even my mum knew you liked boys, then again she had a sense of things. Remember how she used to say she wanted to adopt you?” 

 

Ben closed his eyes with a soft smile, going back to yesteryears when Allen was his best mate. His only mate left when Ben was dealing with his sister’s illness. Ben pushed others away, only to learn that they did not care much about him or his family in the first place. Allen cared. And thank god for him. “If only it was that easy…. Besides! I like more than boys, you know.” 

 

“Yes, yes. You and your pansexual flag have been waving for years now. Ben Hardy! The man who would fuck anything that moves!” 

 

Ben laughed, shoving at his shoulder. “Now you’re making me sound dirty. I’m in a steady relationship, you know.” 

 

“Look how far you’ve come. I’m proud of you, Ben. You’re a lucky man” 

 

“You’ll get lucky too, Allen. After all, you did for me, you deserve it.” Ben grabbed his glass of water and leaned forward, requesting silently for the two men to clink glasses together. Allen laughed since it was the afternoon and they were so lame and domestic that Ben was drinking water and Allen cradling a cup of tea. 

 

Allen took a sip of his tea before his eyes widened with a thought that he just had to get out mid-swallow, “Speaking of lucky, how did the interview go with that paper in the UK? Isn’t this the first one you’ve done internationally? How did it feel to do something related to your homeland?”

 

Ben scoffed, shaking his head immediately at the statement, “This is my home.”

 

A few weeks prior, Ben’s agent called him up frantically. He was so excited to announce that a UK paper wanted to interview him and only him, about his life as UK man living a decade in the US and making quite a name for himself in the modeling and television scene. Ben didn’t realize that his fame had risen so much. His shots went on posters internationally but most people liked the face - not the name and their story and Ben was completely fine with this. In fact, when Ben agreed to be interviewed, he was very firm about what he would and would not say.

 

“I will talk about my experiences moving from London to NYC, but I am requesting that my personal life stays out of it.” Ben requested firmly. “I’m happily married and have a two-year-old at home. Nothing more needs to be known about that.” 

 

The paper seemed to be very understanding. They even told him that they have interviewed a plethora of people who requested not to share details about their home life, especially when it involved children. Ben was relieved and went on with the interview, talking about how he felt when he got off the platform at JFK at the age of 19 or when he tried Halal food for the first time on the city streets. There was something about NYC that captured his heart. In NYC, he could escape amongst the crowd. He did not have to face the silence of his life without a family - without  _ his _ family. In NYC, he could make it - make a life for himself that a young lad growing up without one, could only dream of.

 

“Oy. You still have a landline?” Allen chuckled as his head turned to the ringing house phone on the kitchen island.

 

Ben quickly got up from his seat to check the Caller ID. “We use it for telemarketers and Joe’s mom. She’s a bit old-fashioned and Joe is a big mama’s boy. Calls his mom every day.”

 

“Why do I feel as though he’s going to raise Clara to be the same?” Allen muttered out. 

 

Ben glanced at the number and recognized the area code, “UK number. Odd. Probably that paper. I’ll take it in the bedroom; be right there, Al.” 

 

Ben clicked the green Call button, skipped into the bedroom and gently closing the door as he placed the phone to his ear, “Mazzello residence, Ben-speaking.”

 

“ _ Mazzello _ ? First Hardy, now this. Jones is a good, hearty family name, you know.” 

 

At first, Ben could not place the voice. It had been so long. But as the voice continued, Ben’s blood began to run cold. “Dad? H-how did you get this number?”

 

“I have my ways, boy.” The older cleared his throat, his voice an octave higher than Ben’s but with a roughness . . . a rugged edge that cut Ben like a knife as a young lad.

 

“What do you want then?” Ben’s grip on the phone began to tighten, his fingertips becoming white.

 

“Some respect, for starters. It’s nice to hear from you too, son.” His father spoke dryly, a large moment of silence hung between them before he continued. “Your interview made it all the way to your mother’s hairdresser. All about how much you love the states and never come back to jolly old London. Would’ve loved to have gotten a notice of your departure.”

 

“Like you gave a shit…”

 

“Don’t use such foul language with me, Benjamin. Thought I raised you better than that.” Ben could swear he heard the sound of a woman’s voice in the background but thinking that the voice belonged to his mum was too much for him to handle.

 

“You didn’t raise me at all…” Ben replied, his words tightening in his throat, though he forced them out. 

 

“Oh, don’t be so soft! You handled yourself just fine with all those nannies.”

 

Ben bit his lip in an attempt not to start shouting and alarm Allen, “You talking about the nannies that you forgot to hire or the ones you shagged behind mum’s back?”

 

Ben’s admission that he knew of his father’s affairs did not move the man on the other line in the slightest. In fact, it gave fuel to the fire. “I might’ve not been the most faithful but at least I’m not a poof.”

 

The blond was taken off guard by the comment. He had not heard the word since he left London and never was it directed at him, “Excuse me?”

 

“Would love if you called your mum to tell her she has a granddaughter, though now might not be the best time. She’s a tad bit heartbroken after learning that her son is a _ faggot _ and her grandchild is the product of sin.”

 

Ben’s breath began to quicken, his free hand going to rub the muscle near his collar bone frantically. Ben had heard the world all throughout his childhood, used both to describe a bundle of sticks or cigarettes. Only when he came to America did he learn the other meaning behind the term. 

 

“I’m not a fag.” He replied, his mouth dry. 

 

“Then enlighten me, Benjamin. What is it now when you take it up the arse?”

 

“Making love…” Ben said without hesitation. Even he was taken aback with how quickly he spoke at that moment. What he and Joe did in the bedroom was private. And what they did was love. Sweet love the night they made their daughter. Love all the nights that Ben strove to prove to the ginger that he was utterly smitten with him. Love on their wedding night and honeymoon. Love last night, when they didn’t make love but called it love because they fell asleep with their legs intertwined and Clara nestled in between.

 

The old man made a sound that Ben couldn’t distinguish - a clearing of the throat or perhaps a guttural response to disgust, “Naive you are. You have always been. He’s a fairy. Whether the kid is yours or his. Doesn’t matter much though. He’ll leave you when he learns how messed you up you are. He’ll realize it soon enough . . . leave . . . make his rounds to the next bitch. And you’ll end up just as alone as we were when you left.” The man began to chuckle.  _ Chuckle _ . “Well, at least this time around, we can say we only had one child without an ounce of guilt. Her story always pulls at the heartstrings.”

 

The phone dropped. The hand on his collarbone muscle released. His feet moving far faster than his mind. Allen’s words from the sitting room were muffled and the blond walked right past him to go into the kitchen. Ben worked on auto-pilot, reaching to the top shelf to grab the vodka bottle. Twisting the top, Ben muttered a “Cheers” before downing the half-bottle that was already within the glass. 

 

Allen watched him with a confused glance, adjusting his sitting when Ben plopped down beside him without a word. “Ben?” Allen asked carefully. 

 

Ben looked up at him, his green eyes bleak and lacking their usual sparkle. 

 

“You ever wonder about just fucking killing yourself?”

 

</3

 

Joe was in the middle of a scene when his phone went off. It was a call from Allen, who Joe knew was spending the day with his husband. They were having their boys outing, all while Joe had Clara on his own. She adored spending the day on set and found much joy in telling everyone what to do. 

 

He planned on calling him back but found that he didn’t have to. Allen arrived on set not much longer than that, pushing past crew members to get to Joe. 

 

Joe didn’t know what he would say. Maybe that Ben was outside and wanting to take Joe out for the day. Maybe they were there to pick up Clara for a bit of Papa/Daughter fun with a bit of Uncle Allen on the side. 

 

Instead, he had a frantic looking Irishman approaching him, pulling Joe off to the side so they could speak privately. “I need you to listen carefully. Ben is in hospital.” 

 

All the color drained from Joe’s face as shock took over. He thought, perhaps in the smallest and darkest part of his mind, this was some stupid prank, but it wasn’t. 

 

“Something’s happened. I can’t explain much, but Gwilym is already there. He’ll meet us in the lobby.” 

 

Allen’s instructions were too simple. They just seemed too out of place. Before Joe could even ask what had happened, the call was disconnected. 

 

Joe didn’t know what to say. How is someone meant to react to that? Production was shut down for the day due to a family emergency. Rami took Clara, promising to keep her mind off of her father suddenly running off. 

 

Allen leads Joe outside, forcing him into the car and off to the hospital. “Can you please fucking explain what happened to my husband?” 

 

“Something set him off,” Allen answered coldly. “I can’t go too much into it. I’ve told you all about his issues.” 

 

A few months after Allen’s move to NYC, Joe remembered the shorter male telling him about what it was like growing up as Ben’s neighborhood friend. Ben would always escape to his house when he was a kid. When Claire was born, he’d bring her along. Allen’s home was quite small, as it was just himself and his mother, though the latter never seemed to mind. Allen’s mum welcomed both the Jones’ children into her home with opened arms and she was one of the few that shed genuine years when they buried Ben’s baby sister in the ground. 

 

Once, when Ben was outside on the rooftop bull-shitting with Gwilym, Allen told Joe of the “episodes” Ben would have. The attacks that would come on so quickly that nobody really knew what to do with him. 

 

Ben had seemingly gotten over those demons and was making progress in handling his emotions well enough, but every now and then something would push his buttons and he would fall right back into the same old lethargic state. 

 

Joe saw the collarbone rub the night they had their shouting match in the park and how he looked as if he couldn’t remember where he was. But ‘the look’ or really, the hollowed gaze was one that Joe had never witnessed that is.

 

Once inside, they found Gwilym waiting just as promised. The doctor directed him to award he had never been to and obviously, that Gwilym was rarely in as well because he made a few incorrect turns down the corridors before the ginger was met with a sign: Mental Health Pavillion.  _ Psych ward. _

 

“Can someone just fucking explain to me what is going on?! What room are we even trying to go to?” Gwilym took his phone to find it and when given, Joe ran as quickly as he did making his way into the lobby. 

 

The door slammed open far louder than Joe anticipated, but the ginger didn’t care. He let the dramatic sound echo throughout the room. Ben was sat on edge of the bed, his head never raising to see who it was entering. “Ben!” Joe let the door shut on its own and came to kneel in front of the blond. “Benny, what the fuck is going on?”

 

Nothing. Joe pulled at each arm of the blond to reveal no cuts. Nothing. His clothes were not changed. They were not even dirty. The only difference was how distant he looked. As if he was thousands of miles away.

 

Joe had only heard about this state and Allen never told him how to handle it. Joe called out his name again and even turned his head to get a reaction. Still, nothing. Ben was as frozen as a statue.

 

How the fuck did this come about? He had been perfect in the morning. He followed his routine of going out for a jog, even going so far as to take Clara with him. She enjoyed their alone time together and when she left him to go with Joe, he kissed them both goodbye and promised to see them when the shoot was over. 

 

He told him all about the plans to have tea with Allen and laughed when his husband made a British joke before instructing his daughter to be the boss at the studio. Their little girl was in absolute heaven. 

 

And now Joe was in hell. How could a man filled with such sunshine mere hours ago fall so quickly into the darkness? Joe lifted himself from the front of Ben and sat next to him on the bed. He stopped talking and instead took Ben’s hand in his own. Instead of pulling away as was expected of him, Ben laced their fingers together tightly.

 

_ Affection _ , Joe thought after a moment.  _ Closeness _ . Joe gazed down at their intertwined fingers and questioned how he held the blond out during his first episode. He led him to his apartment and gave him water, though that didn’t help much. And then he remembered the stethoscope and him -  _ shit _ . Joe glanced down at his stomach. It was flat. Clara was alive and in the flesh. He could no longer give him that comfort that seemed to break him last time. Joe let his eyes wander up to his torso until he could not look up any further.

 

Joe pulled his husband in for a much-needed embrace, holding him tightly against him. Ben didn’t fight it, didn’t try to shove him away. Joe waited for what seemed like hours. He listened as Ben’s breathing shifted from shallow to full. How their intertwined fingers were stuck in place to now looser, with Ben thumbing the pad of Joe’s inner palm.

 

“I don’t deserve you.” He muttered against his neck. 

 

Ben’s initials made the ginger practically jump. The room was silent and Ben’s low octave made the room boom with noise. It took Joe a moment to process what he said. What was this all about?

 

Joe did not move from this spot, as if fearing that if the Ben wasn’t in this position, he would lose him again, “What are you talking about?” 

 

“You are going to leave me.” Ben’s voice was heavy and his accent thick. His eyes still refused to meet Joe’s, staring blankly off into the distance. “You and Clara. They all do.”

 

Joe pulled back, his head shaking swiftly. “I will never leave you,” Joe mentioned softly.

 

Ben snickered darkly and tipped his head back, though he still didn’t make eye contact with him. “It’s all you talk about. Joke about. How one day you’re going to wake up and I’ll be gone, but maybe that is what you want? Maybe it’s what you need. To be away from me.” 

 

Ben’s words were so genuine that it made Joe’s heart hurt. Still, Joe was left without any understanding of what led Ben to be in such a state. Yet, as always, to respond to the blond, he used self-deprecating human. 

 

It had started out as a playful statement that turned into a pathetic joke. Joe never understood what Ben saw in him, especially when he looked the way he did and how much he had to offer. 

 

Joe knew the blond had always been treated badly. By his family and past flames and by the very industry that he worked for. Ben flipped that onto its head and used his looks to get by even if he offered so much more than that. 

 

“That . . . Ben, you know I don’t mean that. Remember my first kiss? The first threw up on me right afterward. And the first guy I slept with laughed in my face the morning after for thinking we were an item. You were the first one -- the only one -- that showed interest in me and kept that interest alive even after our kid was born.” 

 

“Doesn’t matter. More will come along. We’ll have our rounds and then you’ll move on.” 

 

Joe cocked an eyebrow, never hearing such a request from his husband, “And what about our daughter? What about our marriage? What about the life we spent the last two years building together. Benny, what is this nonsense all about?”

 

There was absolutely no way that all of this was set off due to some joke that had obviously run its course. 

 

And so the blond spoke. Spoke of his father’s call. Of how he had found the article, which the two would learn, later on, had taken a photo of Joe, Clara, and Ben without Joe’s consent, from Joe’s public Instagram account. Spoke about his battle with mental illness and how he was able to hide it so well because he was so in love. 

 

He was so happy. He was never left so alone that he’d have to think about his life back in the UK. He had his husband and their daughter to give him all the love and support he ever needed. He had Rami, Lucy, Gwilym, Allen . . . it wasn’t perfect but it was perfect for Ben and that’s all that mattered.

 

“I know, deep down inside, I should be stronger than this. I know I shouldn’t have let him get to me but I did. Once again, he won and I was left more pathetic than ever.” 

 

“You are not pathetic, Ben,” Joe told him sternly. “Your parents . . . fuck them.  _ Fuck them _ ! They lost two wonderful children and refuse to accept that it was by their own doing. You don’t need them in your life, Ben. The life we have? The one we share with our daughter? We have a happiness they couldn’t ever dream of and we’re not going to let them take that from us.” 

 

Joe picked up Ben’s face from his chest with his fingers, leaning forward to kiss him ever so gently. He let the kiss linger on, pulling back to finally take hold of those dimly lit green eyes he loved so much. 

 

“Whether you choose to stay here the night or not, I will support your decision. I will leave or I will stay. Whatever you choose, remember.” Joe paused, taking hold one of Ben’s hands and placed it on his chest, just about the warm, strong beating spot of his heart, “You are my home . . . just as I am yours . . . forever.”

 

Ben softened, squeezing Joe’s hand in his own. “You deserve better.” 

 

“I deserve you.” The ginger told him automatically. 

 

Ben bobbed his head, swallowing down as he held onto their gaze. “Lay with me? For a little while? So bloody tired.” 

 

Joe didn’t have to be told twice. He moved closer on the bed, going to rest back against the firm mattress. He pulled Ben onto him, allowing the blond to rest his head against his chest so his ear was fitted right above his heart. Joe held onto Ben, allowing the gentle beating to rock the blond to sleep. 

 

They had so much to talk about and were nowhere out of the woods just yet. But they were together and as far as Joe was concerned, that was one thing that couldn’t be taken from them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if any linger mistakes have been round. I went over it repeatedly and tossed it through Grammarly for good measure. 
> 
> As someone who suffers from high anxiety, panic attacks, and has survived several suicide attempts, allow me to be the first to say that Ben is not alone. And while it is nice that he has a wonderful friend like Allen and loving husband like Joe, not everybody has such a strong system. If you suffer from problems like Ben, seek help and always remember you are not alone.


	6. F A T H E R S - D A Y

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something special for the holiday! This takes place when Clara is 10 months old, so before their wedding.
> 
> The boys are celebrating their first father's day together!

It had always been his favorite holiday. How could it not be? Joe was closest to his father than his other siblings. Not that they weren’t close as well and it wasn’t like he didn’t get along with his mom. But being the firstborn son and being named after the man gave them a stronger connection. His father was a loving man who taught Joe everything he knew and shaped him into the man he grew up to be.

  


And when he died, a piece of Joe died along with him. The pain never went away, but it became more bearable and as Joe himself became a father, he found other ways to distract himself from the constant reminder of the loss.

  


Joe wished endlessly that his dad could have been around to see Clara, but he knew the man was watching down on them and that was enough.

  


When fathers day came around after Clara was born, neither men knew how to handle it. Joe was so used to just calling his brother and wishing him a good one or taking the trip up to see his mom, but now he was working and married and had a ten-month-old to care for.

  


Ben had no relationship with his father and while he had been the one to raise his younger sister, Joe knew the man didn’t like to think of himself as anything other than her brother. But Joe knew. He knew all the pain and heartache that went into keeping that little girl happy and smiling during her final days on this earth and Joe refused to let him write it off like it was nothing.

  


Ben never celebrated the holiday before and now that their little angel had finally arrived, Joe wanted it to be the best damn holiday Ben had ever experienced.

  


Joe went all out. Maybe he went a little crazy. When Ben slipped out to go for his morning jog, something that would take him about an hour, he began preparing. He had balloons delivered and food brought in. He dressed Clara up in a little tutu and wore a onesie that read “I <3 My Papa.” She looked utterly adorable and it made Joe’s heart soar just looking at her.

  


Joe had purchased them both memberships passes to the Central Park Zoo, knowing the man would want to go soon enough. He also knew that Ben’s latest project would be coming to an end in the next few days and Joe wouldn’t be starting his own work until the fall, giving them the whole summer together.

  


Joe had planned a mini vacation for the three of them. There wasn’t much they could do with a toddler, but he still wanted to do something so heading down to California where the sun was shining and beaches were populated. He got them tickets to travel and booked a place to stay right on the water. It was fun and exciting, just thinking about it.

  


Clara was settled on the floor, crawling around the sitting room as Joe finished up cooking. Ben was usually hungry after his run and he wanted to make sure the man was properly fed.

  


When he heard the door open and the squeal of joy coming from the infant, Joe knew his husband had returned. It was easier than he expected and the food was still finishing up. He turned, expecting to see his fiancé with sweaty hair and sweats.

  


Instead, he was greeted by a well-dressed man, styled to perfection. Ben always dressed nicely — he literally worked in the fashion industry, how could he not dress nice? Still, he found today's attire to be a bit interesting.

  


Gray pants with a pale pink shirt; he had a matching gray jacket that was a tad see through and his hair was freshly cut. He was carrying a bag as he entered, but he placed it down on the coffee table as he went to scoop up their little girl.

  


It was easy to see, even now with how young she was, that Clara was a Papa’s girl. She and Ben shared the same little connection that Joe had shared with his own father and it made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside as he looked over the two. Ben’s smile was bright and blissful as he held their daughter.

  


“I thought you were skipping fashion week this year?” Joe asked, nodding over to his outfit of choice.

  


“Can’t a man just look nice early in the morning?” Ben asked him, blushing ever so slightly.

  


Joe hummed, looking down at his own attire. He had gotten dressed but wasn’t wearing anything spectacular. Tee shirt and khaki shorts. Nothing to write home about. And nothing as spectacular as Ben was wearing.

  


Ben came to meet him in the kitchen, with Clara resting against his chest. She was always happy in his arms, her head against his shoulder as she sucked on her pacifier. “Happy Father’s Day,” he proclaimed, swooping in to steal a small kiss.

  


“Same to you, buddy,” Joe muttered.

  


They had spent their first Father’s Day together when Joe was pregnant. It was strange and Joe felt sick for most of the day but they spent it cuddling and watching movies. It was a nice day. Swing to one year later and their baby was here, looking adorable and both men were as happy as ever.

  


“I have plans for us, Joseph.”

  


“Can we eat first? I am making us brunch. Clara is gonna try grilled cheese for the first time.”

  


“Is she now? How very exciting!” Ben beamed, going to strap the infant into her high chair.

  


“Shouldn’t you change?” Joe asked, turning back to the stove so he could turn it off and put everything onto plates.

  


“Clara would never get her Papa dirty. Would you, angel?”

  


“Ba!” Clara called out eagerly.

  


They had been trying to get her to say Papa and Dada for the past few months but all she wanted to say was Ba. Neither of them minded as she was incredibly adorable with every little thing she did so they were content with her lack of communication.

  


Bunch was a hit, Clara’s grilled cheese ripped into many pieces that she ate like a champ. She gave the sign for more and Joe so happily obliged.

  


“I want to take you both out...if you don’t mind,” Ben announced as the two men began to clean up the table.

  


“So there is a reason for your get-up.” Joe gave a smirk, strolling over for a moment to gaze at his fingertips along the hem of his fiance’s grey jacket.

  


“Yeah, alright. You got me. Now may I take you out or do I have to beg?”

  


“I love it when you beg.” Joe hummed, sending a wink as he began to wash the dishes. Clara was now positioned on the floor, her favorite stuffed animals having their own brunch party with plastic silverware and associated food items.

  


By the time Ben was able to convince Joe and Clara to be taken out, Clara had her daily nap, changing into a shirt that said “Two Daddies are better than one” (keeping the tutu on because how fuckin adorable) and Joe had also changed - a brown leather jacket, his classic grey dotted shirt and black slacks. Joe knew that he could never compete with the selection that Ben brought home but he knew that Ben would love Joe nonetheless if he put this much effort into changing from his original wear that he haphazardly changed into in the morning.

  


And out they went. Joe stayed in the back of their Honda Fit, having a serious conversation about why bananas are better than puffs while Ben drove to their secret destination. When they finally arrived, the sight was breath-taking. Ben had found a restaurant across the bridge in Brooklyn, right on the water. Clara must have also be enthralled by the sight because she began to point frantically at the NYC towers that she knew all too well but from much closer.

  


Taking their seats, Ben informed his fiance that he made sure to reserve this place a month in advance due to (1) it being Father’s Day and (2) being such a fine location for couples and small families during the summer months.

  


Joe was more than impressed by his fiance’s effort for their second Father’s Day together. Though he had to admit that he did a great job with the bunch, balloons and “I <3 Papa” T-shirt that Clara surprised Papa with. For a moment, Joe thought that Ben was going to win this Father’s Day. Then Joe had an evil plan. A plan to one-up his fiance. Turn the tables, if you will.

  


It was after dinner, while Ben picked up their daughter and brought her to the water’s edge where she was babbling about the fishes or the birds. Ben was listening intently to his daughter’s words when Joe approached them both. He placed a gentle hand on their daughter’s back, using his other to lace his finger's with Ben's.

  


“We got a good life, you know...together. Great careers. Adorable baby girl.”

  


“We do," Ben agreed, squeezing his hand. "And just wait. Soon we'll have a wedding to plan." 

  


“Yeah...about that. I totally want to get married but I feel like something is missing…” Joe trailed off, faking a very concerned look on his face.

  


Ben cocked his head to the side and Clara mimicked the title. Joe was about to burst at the sight when he realized that he was on a mission right now. “We are waiting until Clara is old enough to walk so that she can walk down the aisle. And until then, I have something to show that I am taken…but you don’t, and I-” Before he finished, Joe came down on one knee and took out a box from his pocket. “I was wondering if you were still one hundred percent still in on this marriage thing and would wear this engagement ring.”

  


Ben’s breath was taken away while Clara was all grabby for the box. The girl knew good jewels when she saw one, that Joe knew for sure. “Oh my god... Joseph, I’ll have to think about it...this is so sudden.” Ben mocked and Joe made a gesture of his fist going straight for the blond’s crotch.

  


“Oy. I’m taking the piss. Of course, I still want to marry you…” Joe’s smile grew even wider than when Ben was being cheeky, pulling the ring from the box and placing it on Ben’s finger before getting up and planting a quick, soft kiss on his fiance’s lips. “I love you.”

  


“I love you too…” Joe kissed him again sweetly and when Clara whined at such PDA that she wasn’t getting, Joe gave her a big, wet kiss on the cheek. “So do I win Father’s Day?”

  


“You used my location for dinner as the backdrop for your proposal, so kind of a cop-out but you saw the opportunity so yes, love, you win.”

Needless to say, their second Father’s Day became out of their most memorable. There were going to be countless Father’s Days to come with numerous children that were not even a twinkle in either of their eyes but Ben and Joe were ready to take it all head on. From men who used to retreat to the dark corners of their mind during such a day to men who welcomed the day as fathers with pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alona: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Here is a Rockabye! Hardzello to please you all as we wait for the next STMF installment. Now, just wanted to give everybody a heads up that the next installment of Rockabye is currently being worked on (the next baby). However, it will not be published until my amazing co-writer finished the next chapter of Angels To Fly. That story has been in the back-burner for far too long and we have received too many questions asking about it. Hopefully, that will be updated soon, until then feel free to make your way into my inbox on Tumblr, asking us questions about any of the fics I/we have created!
> 
> Llyssi: Hi everyone! Happy Father's Day to all fathers or father figures in your life. Clara is so lucky to have TWO daddies in her life. Anyway, Alona and I agreed to hold off on the next installment of Rockabye (after this one-shot) until I have written the next chapter of Angels to Fly. I began to wait for that series during a weird time. By the time I was on Chapter 5, my workload was heavy and Rockabye was in full swing. Needless to say, I haven't forgotten about it but I couldn't just write the chapters just for the sake of summing it up and half-assing it all. No, I wouldn't want to do that to you guys. So, instead, I put it on the back-burner. Right now, I am in the midst of a summer course at my local university that's riding my butt and I have a lot of paperwork to finish at my day job. My brother is also getting married at the end of June and I am a bridesmaid. Yeah, my plate is a little full. Nevertheless, please give me around two or so weeks before my main focus is back on my near and dear Hardzello. Thanks, all you beautiful people <3


	7. Beautiful Boy (Part One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! Hope you're ready for another installment to this wild story. We know the last chapter was pretty heavy, but rest assured, this one is far more relaxed. We're back on our sexual driven/fluff bullshit!

Joe had always wanted children, always dreamed of having a big family. He blamed the old fashioned side of him, growing up in an Italian-American household where every Christmas and birthday was spent with dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles. That stopped over the years, with just his mom and siblings by his side to ring in the new year, but the feeling still remained.

 

As he got older and he remained single, Joe began to doubt if he’d ever had the life his parents had. That white-picket-fence with two-point-five kids and a dog with a pretty wife by his side. And in the end, he never did get that. He had a dog, but no fence. No pretty wife but instead a beautiful husband and currently, only one child.

 

They had discussed it a time or two when Clara was playing with her cousins or interacting with kids in the park. She would be a wonderful big sister. How could she not be? She was raised by two men who were amazing big brothers. They wanted to wait for the right amount of time, for Clara to mature a bit and get out of the baby-stage of things.

 

And then tragedy struck.

 

Joe always knew his husband was sensitive. He had this look about him that made him seem far more intimidating than he truly was. Resting-Ben-Face as he called it. Not so much bitchy or uninterested, but rather that he just looked so above it all. That wasn’t the case in the least. Ben was a guaranteed “Soft Boi” who just wanted to be there for the ones he loved. Bit of a “Superman Complex” they had realized, always wanting to be the hero, always wanting to be the one that saved the day. He didn’t want recognition, but rather just the knowledge that he would always be there if the ones he loved needed him most.

 

Joe tried to help him with that any which way he can but there was only so much one man could do. And when that phone call came and Ben fell hard from that pedestal he had placed himself onto, Joe did everything in his power to be there for him.

 

Ben had agreed to stay at the ward overnight. Not because he felt like he was going to do anything, but how could he go home and face his little girl like this? Ben felt as if he wasn’t only letting himself down, but Joe and Clara too. To Ben, he thought they needed him to be as strong as ever, all the while that wasn’t even remotely the case.

 

Joe knew what weakness looked like and asking for help was the farthest example. They talked long and hard about it when they went home. He allowed his husband to unwind and settle with their daughter before going back into the conversation and making serious decisions about what the next step would be. Ben agreed to see a therapist. It was scary at first; he hadn’t spoken to anybody about his issues before. He felt like a freak, opening up those past wounds that he tried so very hard to staple closed. The first time was a nightmare, with him refusing to go into full detail about how

he felt. Joe didn’t put any more pressure onto him than needed but reminded him that he wasn’t going to move past any of his issues if he didn’t open himself up to them.

 

The second time around was better. He allowed that wall he fought so hard to build be chipped away piece by piece and by the third visit, the dam finally broke. When Joe came around to pick him up, Ben was a sobbing mess, having finally allowed the doctor to get way down deep inside of him. He never felt better, he claimed. 

 

Joe had always been a gentle soul and fully believed that sometimes a good cry was all you really needed. He would never say that Ben didn’t allow himself to cry, but never for the right reasons. Tears of happiness came often, but he’d never cry for the sake of crying. Never for himself anyway. Now the truth was out there and Ben was finally allowing himself to heal properly. Accepting the things that his parents had done were unforgivable and that cutting them off was the best action for him.

 

Joe wasn’t sure if they would ever come back into their lives, but he knew very well that it wouldn’t matter. They weren’t welcome in their lives and that was that. It had been two months later when the thought popped up back in his head. They were at the park together, having a bit of a picnic. Clara was sitting on the grass, playing with Frankie. The two were inseparable, just as Ben had planned. They were playing a lazy game of fetch since the toddler could only throw so far. Ben and Joe watched from the bench, utterly enthralled by the seen.

 

“Clara is three, you know,” Joe mentioned easily enough.

 

“I am aware,” Ben teased, his eyes still focused on the wonderful sight before them. “I was invited to the party.”

 

Joe hummed, thinking back to the third birthday party they had thrown for Clara. It was disco themed — an absolute bash except for when Rami fell on the dance floor and fractured his ankle. Joe didn’t know why the man bothered. Not like he had any real move anyway….

 

“Three. It’s a good age.” He admitted softly. “I’m three years older than my brother.”

 

“Are you now?” Ben replied.

 

Joe turned his head, watching his husband watch their daughter and dog. He seemed so content, so blissful. Like those demons that haunted him were nothing more than a bad dream. “I was a pretty good big brother. And you know Mary, she’s a great big sister.”

 

“Mary is an excellent big sister.” His husband answered.

 

“You know, Clara would be a great big sister too.”

 

Ben finally turned his head, catching Joe’s eyes as a hint of a smirk came across his lips. “Would she now?”

 

“Of course! Look at her.” Joe gestured to where Clara was standing, commanding Frankie to do little tricks here and there. The beagle knew enough to be able to handle a bossy little three years old and Joe lived for it. “She’s fantastic with Frankie and she’s a dog. Imagine how’d she be with a human sibling.”

 

“Ah yes. I think having her tell her little sister or brother to roll over would be excellent sight.”

 

Joe, who had been running his fingers gently through Ben’s hair, tugged playfully at the blond locks. “That is not what I meant and you know that.”

 

Ben let out a soft chuckle, taking Joe’s other hand in his own. “Joseph, you know my stance on having another child. I want nothing more than for Clara to have someone the same way I had Claire and you had your siblings.”

 

“Then...why don’t we see if Rami and Lucy can take Clara for a night and give her a sibling.” Their eyes met and Ben couldn’t help but blush a bit. For other gay couples, giving a child a sibling meant a lengthy process of adoption or artificial insemination. For Ben and Joe, all they needed was some sexual stimulation and sperm and a new life could be made. 

 

Ben squeezed the hand that Joe held, “Are you sure it’s the right time? You know...after everything with me.”

 

Joe was quick to nod, “You are perfect. It’s the best time, I think.”

 

“I want to carry,” Ben said quickly after Joe’s statement, which raised the ginger’s brows. 

 

Yet Joe then let out a sigh of relief, “God, I was hoping you’d say that.” 

 

~*~

 

“Oh my fucking God.”

 

“What?” Ben said with bated breath, being pulled from a heated kiss on the bed. Currently, both men were topless and with jeans clearly sporting tents.

 

“I’ve never topped without a condom.”

 

“Yeah...that’s now trying to make a baby works love. Do you like the latex around your cock or something?”

 

Joe lowered himself back down to land soft kisses on Ben’s chest and navel. “No, no. I just haven’t been this excited about sex in a while.”

 

Ben pushed the other male back up to hover over him, “Are you saying that our sex life is boring now?”

 

“Fuck, no. I mean…” Joe groaned, his head hung and landing on Ben’s chest, “Just...I’m going to shut up and fuck you now, alright?”

 

“Make sure every last drop of the baby juices goes in, love.” Ben remarked and Joe reached out his hand to put a finger over Ben’s lips, “Shhh...I know what I’m doing.”

 

And Joe did know what he was doing. Soon after their little tiff during their heated makeout, the rest of their clothes were thrown to the floor. Joe practically cried when he began to thrust into his husband, feeling all of himself and all of his man. The men understood the importance of protection but, when given the opportunity, this was truly a gift from God. Joe could feel every bit of Ben’s arousal, which made Joe even more aroused. The ginger swore that he went longer than ever before because of it.

 

“Joe...Joe, love. Do you think you’ll get everything in facing?” Ben asked through jack-hammering thrust. Joe somehow knew Ben meant -- was all his baby juice able to make its way to the right place if they were front-facing (which, because they were so damn love with each other, they did most often)? 

 

Not really able to weigh the advantages and disadvantages thoroughly, Joe went the easy, most open way of fucking, pulling out of the blond and flipping him over with one hand. Apparently, this position always left Ben crying, since the curve of his husband’s cock always hit perfectly against his prostate when he was on his hands and knees. Maybe he loved Joe too much to strictly prefer this position. He could not see his husband’s face and Ben loved that fucking face.

 

Joe came with a shudder, staying inside his husband a bit longer than usual, determined to ride the orgasm as long as he could. He was proud to say that he made Ben cum before him, even though Ben wasn’t the one using his cock. For a man with more length than girth and with a preference to be an utter bottom bitch, Joe could be a good top when he wanted to.

 

“Fuck me.” Ben let out when Joe finally pulled out and landed on the blond’s side.

 

“Oh...I plan to. At least two more times. You are going to be so stimulated, one has got to catch.”

 

“You only got one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.”

 

Joe slowly lifted his head from the pillow to give his husband a curious brow, “Did you just quote Eminem?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“God, I love you.” Even though the ginger was sweating and, he came to roll to his side, a hand going to cup the blond’s cheek to give him a sweet peck on the lips. Surprisingly, for a man of 35, it did not take Joe long to up and ready for duty.

 

~*~

 

“Oy. Gwilym. Are you sure this test will work? Won’t it mess with our testosterone levels or whatever?” Ben stood, bent over the kitchen island with a pregnancy test that Joe had purchased from Duane Reade. He had yet to pee on it. He needed to consult the doctor first.

 

Ben listened to the tallest male of the bunch, before turning to face his husband and daughter, who were fighting over a bag of puffs on the couch, “He said to use it the same way.” The blond pulled out the test from the box, “Wish me luck, Clara.”

 

“Lucky!” Clara announced, not knowing what was going on but always willing to support her Papa. By the time Ben had returned, Joe put her down for a nap and Ben had proceeded to take three more tests with him and peed on all around the same time, just for authenticity. 

 

He kept them all on the kitchen table, a timer on his phone. “I’m still waiting. I got three more tests while you were in her room...just in case, you know.” Ben began to bite his fingertips and Joe came over to swat his hand away, “We had sex on the bed. In the shower and on the floor. If that test isn’t positive, I’m giving up on life.”

 

Joe, always the dramatic. Suddenly, in the midst of their discussion on sex positions, the phone binged. Ben wasn’t sure who scrabbled to the counter first. Ben grabbed two tests and Joe grabbed two for himself. It didn’t take another second for Joe to read the news that Ben was also reading on his tests.

 

“I am a fucking sex god!” Joe ran over to give his husband a tight embrace. “Yours positive too?”

 

Ben nodded, Joe also lifting up his. All four revealed positive. After the men placed the tests back on the counter, Ben came to comb his hand through the ginger’s thin locks. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” The men shared a soft, giddy, happy, semi-passionate kiss before Joe pulled away and gave the cheekiest smile Ben had ever seen, “Heh...I put a baby in there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...to those who have been asking...we're happy to announce that Angels to Fly will be updated this Sunday. Yes, you read that right! Lyssi, my wonderful co-writer has been busting her ass in real life and now she's busting her ass to bring you guys only the best. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone sending questions and fic-lit request over on Tumblr. PLEASE keep that shit up, it literally makes our day so much better. 
> 
> Until next time!


	8. Somebody Loves You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mazzello-Hardy fam take on Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WROTE THIS IN A TAXI AND TRAIN I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. 
> 
> HAPPY PRIDE!!!!
> 
> Btw this placed after JJ is born. We are currently writing that chapter that will contain Ben's full pregnancy and eventual birthing. We just wanted to post this for Pride.

“Gwil, this view is fantastic,” Joe commented from where he stood on the fire escape.

 

Gwilym has invited Joe and Ben over to celebrate the finale day of pride from the comfort of Gwilym’s apartment. After he and Allen moved in together they decided to find a place that was more suited for two grown men and that just happened to be right in the middle of Union Square.

 

It also happened to be in perfect view of the festivities that Pride had to offer. Joe and Ben agreed to take the kids out when the craziness ended and the heat settled down. Ben sat back on the couch, feeding baby JJ his bottle while Clara stood beside her father on the fire escape, watching the fun from so high up.

 

“One of the many perks,” Gwilym mentioned from the doorway, sipping gently form his wine glass. “The stairs are a bi-” he paused, looking down to his feet where Clara was. “A pain on the knees but the view is worth it.”

 

“Daddy! Balloons!” Clara shouted as a man walked by with a bundle of rainbow-colored balloons.

 

Clara herself was decked out in rainbow; a perfectly puffy tutu and a shirt that read “raised by two rad dads” in sparkles. Her strawberry blond hair was growing long now and Allen had put it up in pigtails with colorful bows to match.

 

Joe had never been one to celebrate pride. Being bisexual usually went forgotten by most people and half the time he was single during the events. Sure that should have been enough to make him want to go out and celebrate and maybe go home with someone but Joe never found a reason.

 

Until now.

 

Now he was married and a father. Now he had someone to always go home with. Now it was worth celebrating. They had celebrated in their own way when Clara was just a baby, but now that she was older and they had another child, they wanted her to be a bit more involved.

 

“Confetti!” Clara cried out. “Papa! Come see!”

 

Ben laughed from inside the room, adjusting JJ on his shoulder so he could rise up from the couch. He took his pregnancy and c-section like a champ and had completely snapped back from it. Aside from the fading scar across his stomach nobody would have known a thing.

 

“Well isn’t that festive,” Ben mentioned, poking his head out to see the confetti that was being thrown all around.

 

“And messy. Certainly, hope they hire a cleaning crew.” Allen mentioned from where he sat on the fire escape, nursing his beer.

 

“Oh come on. It’s all in good fun,” Gwilym mentioned sweetly.

 

“Daddy, can we please go now?” Clara asked gently, her sweet little accent making the words she spoke sound even more adorable.

 

“What do you say? Ready to check it out?” Joe asked looking back to his husband.

 

Ben turned to JJ, who answered with a pleased burp. “Lemme just changes this fella and we’ll head out.”

 

Clara squealed with excitement, running off to get her shoes on. Ten minutes later they were down in the street, the three-year-old happily running among the confetti. Any other time Joe would be highly against his daughter touching anything that was on the ground, but even he had to admit the piles and piles of confetti looked tempting.

 

“He’s still got a few months to go before he sees color,” Ben mentioned as JJ blinked at the pieces that continued to fall around them.

 

“That’s all right buddy. You’ll get to have more fun next year,” Joe mentioned, rubbing the babies back smoothly.

 

“Papa! Look!” Clara giggles madly as she ran in a circle, kicking at the piles around her. Ben passed JJ off to Allen, going to scoop some of the confetti off the ground and toss it in the air, allowing Clara to spin around as it fell to the ground.

 

“Funny isn’t it? Ten years ago, this wasn’t even imaginable.” Gwilym admitted somberly. “Gay marriage was barely a thing and now there are literal children dancing in the street. Happy and carefree.”

 

“It’s insane. How the fuck did we get here?”

 

Clara wouldn’t know a world where gay people couldn’t marry or be treated so differently. She grew up with two male carriers, who had blooming careers and well-known names. She was privileged up the ass, yes but Joe was a selfish white man sometimes and he was happy for the chances that his daughter and son would be given. A good world, even if it didn’t exist everywhere.

 

Joe laughed as Clara spun around again, pulling out his phone. “Clarie! Look at daddy!”

 

Clara turned, smiling as her father took pictures of her. She laid down, letting him take a boomerang of her making snow angels among the confetti piles.

 

“Oh that’s unsanitary,” Allen mentioned, yelping as Gwilym threw a handful in his face.

 

“Hey hey! Infant on board!” Joe cried, pulling JJ out of his friend's arms so the two grown could have their confetti fight.

 

Taking the opportunity, Joe took a selfish with his son, happily getting a smile out of the baby. While neither men decided to dress up, they did go out of their way to get JJ a onesie that read “First Pride” on it. Maybe one day when the kids were older he and Ben would dress for the occasion but for now their polo shirts and khaki shorts was enough.

 

Ben scooped up the toddler, popping up behind them to get in for another selfie. Allen took their phone, snapping pictures of the whole family as they played along with the colorful papers. Ben came to hold Joe from behind, kissing JJ’s blond head as they watched their daughter play.

 

An old Betty Who song began to play off in the distance, prompting Allen to come and take Clara by the hands and twirl her around. Joe swayed back against Ben, the echoing of the music just loud enough for them to hear.

 

“It’s a good day,” Ben mentioned, resting his chin on Joe’s shoulder. “Happy pride,”

 

“Happy pride indeed,” Joe replied, smiling as JJ cooed softly, nuzzling his chubby little cheek against his shoulder. “Happy pride to you too, little man.” 

 

Gwilym came up, taking JJ from his arms, slowing Ben to take Joe’s hand and pull him into the street, dancing joyfully. Joe wrapped his arms around his husband, singing the song loudly and proudly.

 

What a happy pride indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you spotted any mistakes I apologize. Edited it the best I could. 
> 
> Happy pride my loves!
> 
> Title of the chapter came from Betty Who's "Somebody Loves You" please stream it everywhere!


	9. Beautiful Boy (Part Two)

_** 3 months ** _

 

Ben and Joe spent the first three months of Ben’s pregnancy keeping the news at bay. It was so different from Joe’s pregnancy, where the slightly taller male did not know for months that he was carrying his beautiful baby girl. Instead, Ben took a test about a week after trying their damn hardest. And then a week after that, Ben and Joe went to see Gwilym. Gwilym confirmed that the tests were accurate and that they were indeed expecting the second Mazzello child. They were ecstatic after the tests and even more ecstatic after Gwilym confirmed it.

 

Ben and Joe wanted to wait until after they told Clara about the baby to announce it to their friend group but Lucy’s own pregnancy announcement a month ago ruined that opportunity. She spilled the beans and Ben couldn’t help himself. They were going to be pregnant together! It was exciting for everyone involved, especially Rami who was finally going to be a father. Something the man always knew he’d one day be (and was surprised he wasn’t already). 

 

Still, many expecting mothers and male carriers waited until almost a few months to share the news. Ben and Joe waited three months before they sat Clara down and told her she was going to be a big sister. 

 

In retrospect, they should have done is in some cutesy way, but neither could think of anything. They weren’t always very clever, after all. 

 

“Baby in Papa’s belly?” She asked with a cock of her head and a point to Ben’s stomach.

 

“Yes. You’ll be a big sister.” Joe explained slowly.

 

Clara cocked her head the same way Joe would whenever he was deep in thought. She looked between her father’s, analyzing everything that she was currently learning. 

 

“Baby in my room?” She asked suddenly. 

 

Neither men had made a decision on where the second baby could go. For their first few months, it would stay with them but then afterward, it would have to go into a crib and they only had a two bedroom loft. 

 

Ben smiled, “Would you like the baby to be in your room when it’s born?”

 

“Baby and me. Best friends.” Clara told him deridingly and got off the couch to run to her room and return with one of her toys, “This is for the baby, baba.”

 

“Oh, thank you, love.” Ben took the toy and held it close to his stomach. Clara took no time to ease into her big sister role, coming close to Ben and snuggling up against him and his stomach. Ben welcomed her with open arms.

 

**_ 4 months  _ **

 

Ben didn’t mean for it to happen. Honestly, he didn’t. It was just supposed to be a regular appointment. He was barely twenty weeks. Neither he nor Joe thought it would be such a big deal which was why when Joe didn’t join him to that specific appointment, the blond didn’t even waver. 

 

All Gwilym was supposed to do was look around and tell him if the baby was all right. They weren’t supposed to be taking long looks. They weren’t supposed to be checking to find out the sex of the baby. And Ben certainly wasn’t supposed to find out about it unless he checked with Joe first.

 

He tossed that all out the window and told the doctor to do his thing. They found out together, the realization that Joe would be completely betrayed outweighed by the fact that the beautiful baby growing inside his belly was a boy. 

 

Ben never had a preference. He adored his daughter and if they were given another than he’d be absolutely over the moon. But he knew how his husband was. He knew deep down that Joe was that old fashioned guy who wanted a son to pass his name onto. His father’s name and his grandfather’s name. When Clara was born there wasn’t an ounce of disappointment, because deep down both men knew they’d have another chance. And here it was.

 

“God he’s going to kill me.” Ben laughed as Gwilym cleaned his stomach, removing all the slick ultrasound goo of his skin. 

 

“Perhaps you could surprise him?” The doctor suggested, tossing the towels into the trash.

 

Ben went over in his mind how he wanted to tell his husband what they were having. He didn’t want to just come right out and say it. That was so boring. Ben found out they were having a daughter in the middle of an argument. It wasn’t sweet or surprising. The man was having a bloody anxiety attack. No, no! This had to be better.

 

Aside from himself and Gwilym, the only person who knew was Lucy. He trusted her above everybody else and was the perfect person who helps pick his brain on what to do in such a situation. At first, he thought he’d just make it simple; a little shirt or sign that read something that indicated that they’d be having a boy. 

 

That was fine and dandy, but Ben wanted to do more. How could he not? This was their baby. Their boy! They should be doing something completely outrageous and wonderful! 

 

So, despite how cliché and old fashioned it was, Lucy and Ben decided that gender reveal party was the way to go. There were different options to do. Joe saw videos where people popped balloons or threw eggs. There was an interesting one about shooting paintballs at one another. The slice of cake had been terribly overdone and water balloons seemed a bit dangerous. 

 

And then another idea came to mind. One that seemed so utterly perfect and so utterly Joe.

 

It took a bit of time to convince the man, especially since Ben was playing along with the idea. He didn’t want Joe to know that he knew the sex was that would ruin the fun of it. So, he played dumb and suggested that they do the whole reveal party for both. Lucy, despite being pregnant herself, promised to plan it all that way Joe didn’t have to worry about it.

 

Joe wasn’t keen to it at first. He thought it was cliché and far too hetero but he gave in when he saw how genuinely excited Ben was to do it. Lucy and Ben worked day and night to prepare and when the day finally came, it was everything that they had hoped for. 

 

They made the trip to Duchess County, to the local park that Joe used to visit when he was just a kid. Friends and family were all invited, and the place was completely decorated in pink and blue. Everybody was wearing the colors, choosing teams of what they wanted. Clara was in her purple tutu, as she was very biased with her choice. She would be happy with a little brother or little sister so long as she could be involved. 

 

Ben proudly wore a blue shirt while Joe flashed his pink. He was hanging out with Rami and his brother while Ben stood next to Allen. 

 

“He wouldn’t tell me what you’re having,” the Irish man mentioned, gesturing to his boyfriend who was standing across the way. “He’s terribly professional.” 

 

“That’s sort of the point, Al.” Ben chuckled, 

 

“Yes, well I put money on you having a girl, so you better not let me down.” 

 

“Are you actually taking bets?” Ben questioned though he wasn’t surprised in the least.

 

Turns out Joe’s brother was doing a bit of a poll, with everyone putting money on what they thought they were having. Ben could only imagine how that would turn out for those who chose female. 

 

“All right! It’s time!” Lucy shouted, coming towards the field with the basket of baseballs.

 

Ben had done lots of research in hopes of getting some ideas and found one specific reveal idea was too good to pass up. Basketball of baseballs with one loaded with colored powder. The moment he hit it, the ball would explode, and the gender would be revealed. Rather than just hitting one, Ben made sure Lucy stacked up so Joe would be kept busy and some suspense would be added.

 

“Why aren’t you throwing them?” Rami asked as he took the basket from his wife. 

 

“For one, I’m pregnant and this is a bit of a hazard,” Ben answered him. “And two, this is more for Joe’s sake than my own.” 

 

“What if he hits me?”

 

“Well, Lucy is already pregnant, so you did your job,” Ben told him easily. 

 

Rami rolled his eyes and walked out onto the field. Joe approached Ben, swooping in to kiss his cheek as the blond passed the bat onto him. “Have fun.”

 

“Oh, it’s gonna be a blast.” 

 

Making his way over, Joe did those little stretches that Ben had seen all real baseball players do before the game. It was an amusing sight and as he got into position, Ben watched from the sidelines with Lucy and Clara, who clapped her hands to cheer her father on.

 

The first pitch went off without a hitch. Joe hit the ball and sent it across the way, followed by the second. Rami threw four balls, all of which were solid and real. The fifth one, however, exploded right against Joe’s bat; a puff of blue smoke filling the area around them. 

 

For a solid moment the world stopped and then Joe lost his actual fucking mind. 

 

“ _Blue_?” He asked aloud as if he didn’t believe his own mind.

 

“Blue means a boy dude!” Rami called out.

 

“A boy!” The redhead turned, looking back at his husband. “We’re having a boy!”

 

Joe threw the bat down triumphantly and tossed his arms up high into the air. He let out a scream, going to run around the bases as he had just hit a home run during the World Series. The area around them was filled with cheers and people going to collect their winnings for the bet. All the while Allen was scolding his boyfriend for knowingly allowing him to bet on the wrong gender. 

 

Joe ran over to Ben, slamming into him and wrapping his arms around the pregnant male for a much-needed embrace. “Oh my god. A boy. We’re having a fucking boy!”

 

“A boy.” Ben mimicked, his hands coming to cup Joe’s face. “Joseph Mazzello the fourth is on his way.” 

 

They hadn’t thought of names as of this point, but Ben knew the moment he found out he was carrying a son what his name would be. There was no denying that Joe would want to share his own name with the boy. Naming him not after himself but his father and his grandfather. Ben always hated the idea of having a junior, but no other name would fit their little lad.

 

As the realization of what his husband meant came across Joe’s mind, the redhead's man pulled him in for a smothering kiss. Ben welcomes it, holding onto him and not caring an ounce that they were basically snogging openly in the park, in the middle of their own party. 

 

“Daddy!” The men broke away as their purple little princess came running over, a pink cupcake in her hand. “It’s a boy! But some cupcakes are pink! What do we do?” She asked urgently. 

 

“Give it to uncle Rami,” Joe told her, watching as the toddler ran off, fully intent on shoving the cupcake in her uncle’s face. Joe turned back to his husband, smiling smugly. “I put a boy in you.” 

 

“Is that really a bragging point for you?” Ben asked, utterly amused. 

 

“Oh, definitely.” 

 

**_ Month 5 _ **

 

Ben was amid cleaning the dishes when a knock was heard. They weren’t expecting anyone over today, yet, when Joe opened the door, they were met with their best friends – Rami and Lucy. Clara, who had been watching Paw Patrol, suddenly made a beeline to Lucy at the sight, while Rami was, of course, treated as invisible to the little blondie.

 

“Awe, don’t worry, bud. I’m happy to see you.” Joe chuckled as he embraced the shorter male. 

 

Clara was clung to Lucy’s hip immediately, leading the older woman off to her tea party. It wasn’t rare for them to drop by, especially with Lucy being Ben’s pregnancy bestie, but for the first fifteen minutes, they gave Clara a bit of Lucy-Clara time. 

 

For most of the early afternoon, Clara shared her snack with Aunt Lucy and told her about what the last two months have been like for the soon-to-be big sister to the baby in Papa’s stomach. After minutes of Clara telling the older blonde about her responsibilities, Lucy gave her the chance to touch and talk to her tummy. Clara was the happiest little bean to know that her favorite Aunt and her Papa were going to have babies at the time. Two babies! Not one but _two_. Unbelievable.

 

“Baba! Wucy’s tummy also kicking!” She squealed. The combination of her accent and pronunciation made her words sound even better. 

 

Lucy was overwhelmed with the cuteness that was toddler Clara and Ben and Joe, from opposite sides of the room, giving each other glances of ‘Yeah, we created that.’ 

 

Lucy gave the little one a kiss on the forehead before Joe came to lift the strawberry blonde from behind, “OK, you. It’s nap time. Give everyone…even Uncle Rami, big kisses and I promise, they will still be here when you wake up.” The blonde, of course, gave him a bit of a hard time because Aunt Wucy was here and Rami doesn’t deserve goodnight kisses but Joe coaxed her enough with hours of Wucy snuggles and a cookie when she woke.

 

While Joe took his time putting the youngest down, Lucy scooted over next to her pregnant counterpart, practically whispering, “There’s something I need to tell you two about my pregnancy.”

 

Ben’s brow furrowed in worry, “Is everything OK with the baby?”

 

Rami, who had just raided their fridge for snacks, returned to his wife’s side with a bag of Cheetos and ice tea, “Oh, everything is fine, Benny.”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“What is what?” Joe questioned, coming to his husband’s side.

 

“Well, you see...” The blonde began.

 

“We’re having more than one baby!” Rami spit out, interrupting his wife.

 

Joe shrugged, “I’m not surprised. You are a twin, Ram.”

 

Rami began to rub the back of his neck, “Yeah…um…. About that. It’s more than twins. It’s triplets.”

 

Ben’s eyes widened, “Three at once! Good lord.” After a moment of shock, Ben leaned over to give his pregnancy buddy a hug. “Congratulations.” The blond turned to Rami, “You know that we are here if you need anything, right Joe?”

 

Ben nudged his husband, who was still trying to process the matter, “Oh yes. Of course, whatever you need.”

 

The couple was very appreciative of their good friends, knowing that they truly would be there and visa-versa. Rami and Lucy spent a bit of time munching on some of their snacks and calling Gwilym and Allen over to share the news as a unit while Ben placed some breakfast dishes in the washer.

 

Joe strolled over, giving Ben a plate to add to the wash, “Well, thank god it isn’t us with multiples.” The singer shook his head, “Could you imagine? God, I can’t…”

 

**_ Month 6 _ **

 

Joe made it very, very, _very_ clear that he did _not_ want a baby shower when he was pregnant. That was . . . no. Joe spent a good portion of his life being mocked for being softer than most boys. Nowadays, that was a good thing. Everybody loved sensitive men, but growing up in the nineties, it was absolute hell. He had been called every name under the sun, comparing him to a woman, which was both rude and sexist all at the same time. 

 

Looking back, Joe knew there was nothing wrong with being compared to a woman, but the scars remained, and Joe didn’t want to open those wounds again just so he could get some free shit he put on a registry. He could afford to buy his own stroller and burp pads and that was true the second time around for them. 

 

Ben, however, absolutely adored the idea of having a shower. He thought it was adorable, a little bash for them to be able to celebrate the impending birth of their little lad. Joe had never rolled his eyes so hard before, because of course. The guy who was so fucking pretty but was still so masculine, the one who even at six months was barely rounding, the one who was having an amazingly easy pregnancy wanted a shower. 

 

Joe’s mother was ecstatic, because who didn’t love a good party? Joe had done everything but get down on his knees for his husband to try to get him to back out. Something about the idea just rubbed him the world way. Maybe it was that heteronormative lifestyle that had been drilled into his head since he was a kid. He didn’t know! But the idea alone of them in his family’s back yard, celebrating the medical miracle that they were was making him cringe. 

 

Ben understood thankfully and was kind enough to compromise with Joe. It seemed Lucy also wanted a bit of a shower but didn’t want some large party. She didn’t have much family and Rami only had his siblings and mother, so they decided to combine the parties and make it a more intimate gathering with just trusted friends and family around. 

 

They threw it at a restaurant uptown and kept it very simple. They didn’t do any of that silly stuff where you played games and won prizes. Ben and Joe didn’t set up a registry because they could afford to buy their own stuff, though people brought gifts anyway. Gwilym had purchased them a new car seat and Allen gave them an English styled bassinet. 

 

They had gifted Rami and Lucy with the three-seated stroller, something that the man was very thankful for. The two were still baffled by the extra children they would be having but had come to terms with their fate. Rami was extra excited, already thinking of names for the three of them. 

 

They wanted something that went together, not just three random names they liked. They tossed a few their way, though refused to choose until they saw the kids. 

 

A few other people had given them things and before they knew it, the corner of their apartment was completely covered with baby items. Lucky for them, they had enough room for it, though the idea of getting a new place was still up in the air. But that was to be discussed later. 

 

“Did you have fun at the party?” Joe asked Clara later that night as they got ready for bed. 

 

The small girl was in her element. She was dressed to the nines, entertaining all the guest and telling them all how excited she was to be a big sister. Joe knew she would hold that title proudly, even at such a young age. 

 

“I liked the cupcakes.” She told him as she settled down on the bed. “And the bows that Owie gave me.” 

 

Nobody knew how the nickname came to be. When Clara was young, she had issues with her P’s, instead of turning them into B’s and L’s had also become an issue, turning them into “Ow” sounds instead. Lucy became Wucy and Allen had become Owyn and then eventually, Owie. It was utterly adorable, especially with the accent the toddler had picked up over time. 

 

“Those bows are beautiful. Maybe we’ll bring them with us when we go on vacation in a few weeks?” 

 

“Frankie is coming too right?” She asked as the beagle hopped up onto the bed.

 

“Frankie too. She’s gotta see the ocean, right?” Clara bobbed her head, giggling as the dog circled beside her, settling down on the mattress. “Sleep tight, princess.” 

 

“Papa still reading to me?” 

 

“You know I am,” Ben said as he made his way into the room. In his arms, stretched out to avoid crushing his stomach, was the basket of books they had requested instead of cards. “Thought we could give one of this a-go.” 

 

“You two have fun, okay?” Joe leaned down pressing his lips to Clara’s forehead, turning to kiss Ben’s cheeks before heading out to finish his work for the night. 

 

**_ Month 7 _ **

 

It wasn’t Ben and Joe’s decision to have a babymoon. In fact, they had no idea what a babymoon was until Lucy and Rami had their own. Lucy was going to have to deliver much earlier than Ben since she was having three babies at once instead of one. After the seventh month mark, she would also have to be on bedrest. So, they decided to do a new thing called a “Babymoon.” Kind of a like a bachelorette/bachelor party – a time to get wild and celebrate being together before the responsibilities of parenting took over the entire life.

 

The problem was that Joe and Ben were already parents. They had three years of parenting until their belt in fact. What did they need a babymoon for?

 

“To celebrate your last months of having one child instead of two,” Rami explained, his pointing being obvious, but still Ben and Joe saw no reason for it. 

 

They had debated where they wanted to go. All beaches were off limits due to the chilly January weather and flying down a with a toddler sounded like an absolute nightmare, but it wasn't like they were left with many options. Joe swallowed his pride and agreed to head down to California, making his husband promise they weren't spend all their time at Disney, even if Clara was a bit older now and would appreciate it. The only bright side to the time of year was that no one in their right mind would bring their child to Disney in early January.   
  
  
Luckily, neither Ben nor Joe was ever in their right mind.   


“I think she’s asleep,” Ben said in a whisper, the strawberry blonde having her arms wrapped around her Papa’s stomach. She spent the past hour speaking to her brother about how much fun she was having on their trip and how she wants to take JJ to the island too when he is out of Papa’s belly. JJ was an active one, kicking Ben all the time, especially at the voices of Clara or Joe. Clara spoke the most to JJ and Joe was second, often spending a good fifteen minutes before bed, telling JJ all about his plans with his son in the years to come.

 

Ben would talk to JJ the most when he was alone, though he did talk for his son when there was a debate about what to have for dinner. Ben was an insomniac, most likely linked to childhood trauma, as his therapist pointed out months ago, so when he was awake, so was JJ. He’d sing to his baby boy or place headphones over his stomach as he did some last night runs on the treadmill.

 

“She better be. She ran the entire avenue today.” Joe slowly, gently, pulled Clara from her Papa’s arms and brought her to her guest room. 

 

When Joe returned, Ben adjusted his position on the couch, legs up and resting on the coffee table and one hand rubbing at a spot that JJ was pounding his fetus feet about. “Is he still kicking?”

 

Ben shook his head, “No…he went to sleep around the same time as Clara did. I think her off-key rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’ knocked him out as well.”

 

Joe came to sit next to his husband, a hand lifted over to rest around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him in closer, “You know, I still don’t know what this babymoon is all about. We did nothing like this on our honeymoon.”

 

Ben chuckled, “That was because it was our honeymoon. Clara was with your mom and you nor I had a baby growing inside of us.”

 

“So, this babymoon is really pointless for us. More just an excuse to go to Disney without having to buy FastPasses.”

 

Ben shook his head, “Just because I’m pregnant and we have a toddler doesn’t mean we still can’t have fun like a honeymoon.” Ben cupped his husband’s cheek lovingly, “Just because we spent our honeymoon never getting out of bed and this time, spending most of our time together chasing after a toddler or dealing with this tiny dancer against my ribs doesn’t mean it’s any less of a good time.”

 

Joe hummed, “I am having fun.”

 

“Yeah?” Ben gave his husband a cheeky smile and Joe, in one swift moment, stood up and adjusted himself, suddenly straddling his husband.

 

Ben, who had shamefully admitted around month five that he had an increased libido because of being pregnant, wasted no time pulling Joe in for a kiss, his hips automatically flexing up to rut against Joe’s growing erection, “Can’t get enough of me, can you Benny?”

 

“Mmmm…never.” Ben launched himself on Joe’s neck, kissing up and down the spot, receiving a month from his husband before whispering, “Take me to bed. Reenact the position from day three of our honeymoon.”

 

“Think you can manage at seven months?”

 

Ben gave his husband a coy smile, “Let’s try, why don’t we?”

 

**_ 8 months  _ **

 

“Do you think this color is all right?” Gwilym mentioned, his head cocked as he looked at the painted wall. 

 

Joe snorted from across the room, pausing as he and Allen pushed Clara’s bed into its new location. Joe and Ben had gone back and forth on whether they wanted to move once the new baby was here. They had a two-bedroom apartment currently, which worked out fine for them, though they knew things would get more complicated as life went on. 

 

While Clara loved the idea of sharing a room with her brother now, one day she would get older and would want and need her own space, just as JJ would want and need the same. For now, however, they were set in their ways and loved their home. 

 

Clara’s bedroom was big enough for the two of them, especially since they had agreed to give away some of the toys she no longer played with. Joe and Ben didn’t want to just shove the crib into the corner and call it a day. They wanted to make the room more welcoming to both kids, so when Clara was out with Joe’s mother, they took the day to decorate it. 

 

Well, Joe, Allen, and Gwilym decided to decorate it. Ben, who was at the tail end of his pregnancy now, couldn’t really do much other than show support and tell them if anything was crooked. 

 

They didn’t want to split the room up down the middle, making one side girly and one side boyish. That sounded far too stereotypical and rather boring to be quite honest, so instead, they agreed to paint the whole room one color. They went with a fantastic green shade that reminded Joe of the color of Ben’s eyes; the color that Clara shared and hopefully JJ too. 

 

Clara was a bit too young for posters to be hung on the walls, so instead, they had picture frames that featured the small girl with different family members and inspirational quotes that Lucy herself had picked out for them. Gwilym added a few things such as birds and butterflies, just to give a bit more life to it all. 

 

Where the crib was to be settled, Gwilym had added a few stencils of baseballs that he colored in with the shades of all the teams Joe supported. The man had just finished when he began to question his own work. 

 

“I certainly hope so, Gwil. Kind of hard to change it now that it’s dry.” Joe commented. 

 

Ben leaned in from the doorway. He had been kept at bay during the painting, not wanting him to breathe in any of the fumes. “It looks great, Gwil. We can’t thank you guys enough.” 

 

“Why were you rushing to do this? Isn’t the baby going to be staying with you for a while?” Allen asked as he and Joe pushed Clara’s canopy bed into the corner. 

 

“Yeah, but it’s better to get it done before the baby comes and besides, Clarie’s been waiting for this.” 

 

The small girl had been terribly bored waiting for her little brother to come around. She was very patient for a toddler, but both men could see she was suffering a bit from all the waiting and thought that doing the bedroom now would give her some excitement. 

 

“Reminds me of when we decorated Claire’s room at the hospital,” Allen mentioned softly to Ben. He looked back to Gwilym, who was working on the final touches of his work. “I suggested the butterflies. I hope you don’t mind.” 

 

Ben smiled, looking over the colorful butterflies that the doctor had painted on the wall. It brought him back to the paper ones he and Allen used to cute out in hopes of making his sister smile and it always worked, even on the worst days. 

 

“They’re wonderful, Allen. Thank you.” Ben replied softly, patting his friend on the back as he passed. Ben walked deeper into the room, watching as Joe adjusted the castle-shaped doghouse that his brother had built for Frankie that Clara just insisted that she needed. “I can’t tell who is more spoiled. Our human child or animal child.”

 

“Says the one who adopted the dog in the first place,” Joe snorted, standing to his feet. “Think she’ll be pleased?” 

 

“Are you joking? She’s going to go completely out of her mind when she sees what we’ve done.” 

 

“One more month to go. Excited?” Joe asked, taking Ben’s hand in his own. 

 

“Words can’t describe it.” The blond admitted, placing his hand on his rounding stomach. “Families gonna be complete soon.” 

 

“One boy, one girl. Sounds pretty even to me.” Joe admitted, leaning in to kiss his husband soundly.

 

“Hi, still trying to paint here so if you two could shag someplace else, that would be great,” Gwilym commented in the corner. “Actually, at this point, I wouldn’t suggest shagging.” 

 

“Thank you, Gwilym,” Joe replied sternly. 

 

“Don’t want to rattle the poor lad.” 

 

“I said thank you, Dr. Lee!” 

 

“Give him a headache.” 

 

“GWILYM.” 

 

**_ Month 9 _ **

 

Unlike Clara’s birth, the date scheduled for JJ’s arrival came, with only a bit of Braxton Hicks dealt by the blond. He didn’t like it and even went to Gwilym during one bit of cramping just to make sure, but the doctor assured him that he was right on schedule and to keep the boy cooking.

 

And he did. Sure, it was uncomfortable. At the most recent appointment, Gwilym admitted that, if Ben was able to carry to the 40 weeks more, that JJ was going to be relatively large, perhaps even more so than Clara. And damn, did he feel in the last week. Joe, of course, couldn’t help smirk at the fact that his husband’s abs were gone and he was a turtle on his back in bed. “Can you help a boy out, love?” Joe would chuckle for a solid minute, watching his husband grunt as he tried to get up by himself before Joe would help him the rest of the way.

 

But this morning, Joe would help him all the way. Today, Joe’s mother was coming over to watch Clara while Ben was scheduled for his C-section.

 

“Are you ready to meet your little brother today, Clar-bear.” The strawberry blond was jumping, yelping yes yes yes all the way until Joe’s mother arrived. 

 

Joe was certain that Clara was going to be able to come by the hospital later in the afternoon to meet her brother but Ben would have to stay at the hospital a day or so to recover from the C-section, so calling Joe’s mother was the option to make sure the little one was well cared for. She was also too jumpy from knowing she was going to have big girl responsibilities that trying to preoccupy her at the hospital would be an absolute disaster.

 

Joe lifted his little girl, “OK. Papa and I are going to go to the hospital to have your little brother. Be good for grandma. She is going to bring you to the hospital to meet JJ in a few hours. Got it.” 

 

Clara nodded feverishly, receiving a kiss from her Daddy before Joe hung her upside down to give Ben’s stomach a kiss, “See you soon, JJ.” She exclaimed, giggling as Joe lifted her back up and Ben gave her a sloppy cheek kiss. “Lucky, Papa!”

 

Joe was slightly annoyed at how different it was at the hospital, delivering JJ versus delivering Clara. They were in such a rush to get to the hospital and get into the operating room. Now, Gwilym took his time, explaining to Ben how they were going to operate. He had the opportunity to stay awake for his son’s birth. 

 

A part of Joe was annoyed about that too. He had to wake up in a recovery room to finally get introduced to his daughter. Ben was going to be there to hear his son’s first cry. At the same time, Joe knew that Ben did not hear their daughter’s first cry. For their son’s birth, they could both witness his first breath and cry and for that, Joe had to be grateful for once.

 

Joe knelt beside his husband as he was given the epidural in his back, Ben trying not to wince from the pain but failing. The ginger kissed his forehead, whispering sweet nothings about how momentous this moment was for them both.

 

As Ben was assisted into a lain position, Joe was given scrubs. He couldn’t help but think about this room three years prior. It felt like a decade ago. He was scared. He was in pain. He felt so young and naïve. He was just engaged. Now he had been married for two years. Their daughter was so happy and healthy. Their careers were flourishing. And now another Mazzello was going to enter the picture.

 

“Alright. Let’s get the show on the road.” Gwilym entered scrubs and all. Joe made it to his husband’s side. Ben did not look at all scared, even though his arms were outstretched as if on a crucifix and he had no feeling from the waist down. He was about to meet his son.

 

When cuts were made and immense pressure was felt, a shrill, high, wonderful cry was heard from behind the curtains. Gwilym took no time at all to lift the boy up and over the blind, revealing a pink, squishing, chunky miracle. 

 

“May the fourth be with you,” Gwilym announced, getting a laugh from Joe as tears immediately started to fall. He couldn’t help himself. There he was. A boy. His boy. His son. Joe glanced down at his husband, who was also mirroring such tears of joy. 

 

Ben couldn’t wipe them away, so Joe helped him out, “Congratulations, Benny.” He pulled down his mask briefly to plant a kiss on his husband’s lips, “Isn’t he beautiful?”

 

“Already in love.” 

 

Ben remembered holding Clara for the first time, the knowledge that he helped bring that beautiful girl into the world weighed heavy on his heart and that was true now. JJ settled comfortably in his arm; the skin to skin contact something Ben had always treasured with their first born and it was stapled now. 

 

After he was cleaned up and given his proper newborn attire, Joe went and brought Clara in so she could meet the precious bean. 

 

“Why is he pink?” She asked curiously, watching him so intensely, like he was a boy behind a glass door that she wanted to play with, but was afraid to break. “He's a boy. Boys wear blue.” 

 

“Boys can wear whatever color they want, sweetie,” Joe told her. “Just like girls can. Wanna hold him?” 

 

Clara bobbed her head, moving to sit nicely on the chair. Joe took the bundle and carefully placed him in her arms. Joe had been practicing with Clara for weeks, reminding her to keep her arms leveled and his head up. They had used countless toys and he even demonstrated with Frankie at one point or another. 

 

“Hello,” Clara said, watching as the small boy wrinkled his nose at her. “He’s so little!” 

 

“Oy, trust me. He’s a large boy.” Ben mentioned from where he sat back on the hospital bed. 

 

“I like him.” Clara decided, pulling her baby brother into a gentle embrace. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” She sang softly. It had been on her mind as of late. Neither knew why, but it brought a big amount of excitement for both men. “You make me happy when skies are gray….” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed the following chapter! It is very near and dear to our hearts. Baby JJ has arrived! Stay tuned for more antics!
> 
> Please also keep in mind that any spelling errors or mistakes were missed by pure accident and do not have to be pointed out. We love each and every one of you reading this fic, but if one more person points out that something is wrong I might actually throw my keyboard against a wall. 
> 
> I am dyslexic. Spell check can only do SO much and I am TRYING my best. 
> 
> Thank you and have a lovely time!


	10. D E L E T E D  S C E N E S

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we each have Tumblr accounts (WriteYourOwnLifeStory & ThatSpunkyDwarf) and sometimes get ficlit request. These are a few of our favorites that happen for the men between them and their two children.

**_Ben and Joe have a bit of a tea party with their little girl:_**

 

“Joe…get out of the loo. Your tea is getting cold.” Ben announced from his daughter’s room, scrunched into a chair that was too small for either grown men, but perfect for their little girl.

“Ba…ba. Your hat.” The strawberry blond beauty placed a straw hat with a flower in the middle on top of his Papa’s head, “Thank you, my love.”

“And what am I? Chopped liver?” Joe questioned, directing his comment in two directions, one at his daughter, who had yet to choose a hat for him and to his husband, who called Clara his love instead of Joe. 

“I can have more than one love, you know.”

Joe fake gasped, in time for his daughter to shove a silver-sparkly fedora-type hat on top of his cranium, “Thank you, princess.”

“Daddy…it’s cold. Drink it.” She whined, pointing at the empty teacup next to her father’s seat. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I know it’s not polite to be late to a tea party.”

Ben shrugged, “It’s fine…you are American. We will let it slide.” The blond took a “sip” of his daughter’s drink and turned to her in astonishment, “I still can’t get over how good this is, baby girl. Bloody fantastic.”

“Bloody fantastic!” She repeated in a perfect British accent.

“Have I transported to the U.K., I—” Joe sat astonished as he usually is when his daughter or husband sounded so incredibly British that it made him almost cringe. But it’s fine. It was one of the strange things he loved about them. Though it didn’t stop him from wonder what kind accent and attitude any of their future babies would possess…

 

**_Ben and Clara have one last Papa/Daughter day before JJ arrives:_ **

 

Ben was mere days from delivering. He was feeling well but still huge. Of course, if you are less than a month from delivering, you’ll look and feel huge and that was exactly it. On the other hand, as opposed to his husband, he loved being pregnant. There was something about carrying a miracle that he was truly going to miss when JJ came. Yet soon the miracle was going to be out in the world and that was quite astonishing too. Either way, it would be a win-win for the blond.

Joe was a bit ambivalent about going on-set today, leaving a 9-month pregnant husband with their 3-year-old, but the blond assured him that he had this. After all, this would probably be the last day for a papa-daughter day and he couldn’t pass that up.

After he let her sleep late, kissing his husband good-bye for the day, he set up the living room for cereal and cartoons. She squealed when the blankets were set up on the floor of the room instead of the couch. Clara informed her Papa that she didn’t need pillows because she was perfectly fine using her Papa’s stomach and he let out a hardy chuckle at that. 

Yes, it was difficult for Ben to stand up after they giggled and made comments about the two-hour-long binge of cartoon classics but it was worth it. 

After cartoons, Ben took her and Frankie to the local playground where they could run around. Of course, Clara needed to tell all her neighborhood friends about how, in a few days, her Papa was going to give her a baby brother. Half of them didn’t believe her until she pointed to a very round looking blond man on the park bench adjacent from the swings. Needless to say, by the time the two left for ice cream, Ben had a swarm of kid fans asking to touch his stomach. Ben allowed the little kids he knew from the neighborhood but stopped at any kids he didn’t know.

“Do you want to order for us, love?” Ben questioned, giving her a $5 to buy ice cream. She loved being so independent and everyone around loved how independent she was for such a little one, so she often got perks for being so damn cute and spunky. 

“Papa…I told them that I am going to be a big sister and they say...I get two ice creams next time!”

“Wow! Well, aren’t we lucky? We will have to bring JJ over for proof, won’t we then?” Clara nodded excitedly, lapping her ice cream like there was no tomorrow.

By the time Joe came home around six, Clara was passed out on the couch, her head on Ben’s stomach again, with Paw Patrol streaming in the background. “Good day?” Joe chuckled at the sight.

“Great day…though..can you please do me a favor love?”

Joe strolled over to place a quick kiss on his husband’s lips, “Anything.”

“Put her to bed and when you return….h-help me up.”

Joe laughed soundly, “Of course.” 

**_ Ben and Lucy being pregnancy buds: _ **

 

“I just don’t get how all that breathing is supposed to help me,” Lucy mentioned as they walked down the street. 

They had just finished up with their Lamaze class and while both felt a bit more relaxed, neither felt confident with the lessons they had learned. 

“I think it is meant to distract you. If you focus on your breathing, you’re giving less attention to the pain.” 

Lucy laughed softly, placing her hand on her round stomach. “I’m having triplets! I don’t even think morphine could get my mind off that,”

“Maybe we should switch to prenatal yoga? Realign our chakras and all that shit?” Ben offered, pumping her shoulder against his own. 

It didn’t sound like too horrid of an idea. He missed his workout schedule and while he still went walking, he felt like he should be doing more. He didn’t want to let himself get lazy and risk the health of his son. 

“I don’t think that’s what yoga does, but it certainly sounds fun,” Lucy told him, grabbing his arm suddenly. “Taco truck!” She gasps, looking across the way to where a food truck was parked. Both took in the smell of the delicious smell, their tongues growling as their growing children beginning to move. 

“All right. Feeding time.” Ben decided, bringing her alone.

 

**_JJ kicks Ben harder than usual as he is at work:_ **

 

“Ben. Are you ready to go for the second round of shots?” Fred the Photographer questioned, adjusting the camera. Ben was around five months pregnant, far along for his son to start kicking but not enough for people to notice that he was baring a child, well for the most part. His six-pack was gone and Ben requested to do more clothed shots. He didn’t want to have to ask to explain to another photographer why only his stomach was rounding. Fred was a good man who thought it was awesome that he was baring a child. He welcomed doing shots with Ben until he was ready to take the time off to prepare for JJ’s arrival. 

“Can you..erm..give me a moment?” Ben breathed out, rubbing the spot where JJ just kicked him hard in the ribs.

“JJ acting up again?” Ben nodded at his friend’s question, only to have a newbie come over and cock his head to the side, “Who’s JJ?”

“My son.”

“Where is he?”

Ben groaned, ready to go through the whole spiel before Fred placed a hand on the newbie, “Ben’s a carrier. He and his husband are expecting their second in four months.”

The newbie’s eyes widen, “Woah. I never met a male carrier before. Do you like to deliver in the–” Before the newbie could continue, Brett, a fellow model, pulled him away to answer the lad’s questions while Fred waited until Ben was ready to get back to work.

“You good?”

“Ready Freddie.”

 

**_Ben reminisces how he misses being pregnant after JJ is born:_ **

 

Ben was always up, no matter if it was before, during or after his pregnancy. He got about 3-4 hours of sleep, normally. So lack-of-sleep didn’t bother Ben as much as it did Joe. When he was pregnant with JJ, he didn’t mind the times when he was up because of the baby’s kicks. He didn’t know if he was ever going to get these moments again (because of a girl and a boy – perhaps that’s all Joe wanted – the perfect pair).  Thus, he relished in this time with his unborn son.

Now, JJ was born and there were sometimes when JJ was actually asleep and Ben was still awake. He did not want to stay in the room and disturb him, because he also shared the room with his sister. JJ also seemed to gravitate and find the most comfort wit his husband, so Ben would spend sometimes over an hour in the living room, honestly missing the times of having a rounding belly in front of him.

One night, Joe was up to piss when he saw Ben up, lifting weights in the living room. “Hey, Benny.”

“Hey.” Ben continued to lift the weight, not gazing up at his husband because his eyes were a bit red and he didn’t want his husband to see him like this.

“Come to bed.”

“Not right now.” Joe didn’t like that Ben wasn’t looking at him, so he came to his side and waited until he looked up. When he forced the blond’s gaze up with a finger, he frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Bet it’s not.”

“I miss it,” Ben stated simply, stopping his lifting and placing the pair of weights back in their space in a chest near the TV. 

“What do you miss?”

“Having him close to me..” Ben didn’t have to explain, because he did with his hands, placing them over his flattening stomach.

“You mean JJ?”

Ben nodded and Joe walked over, slowly embracing his husband, “I had that feeling too. though I didn’t tell you. It’s not stupid but…” Joe lifted his hand to cup Ben’s face, “He’s with us. Out. Healthy and all wiggly. Remember that.”

“I’m trying…” Joe easily raised his chin and kissed the blond on the forehead, “Tomorrow, I’m going to have a long chat with our son and he’s going to be your cuddle buddy for the whole day. Just you wait and see..”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to but I will, whether you protest it and whether the wiggly wonder likes it or not.”

Ben rested his forehead against Joe’s, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

 

**_Date night while Ben is pregnant:_ **

 

“It feels odd without her…” Ben admitted as he entered a Greek Restaurant with Joe, who, of course, held the door for him.

“It always does…and just think. We only have another month and we will have to worry about two gremlins being home alone with Rami.”

Ben chuckled, rubbing his stomach to calm his little one as Joe announced their arrival. “I think Rami won’t be babysitting anytime soon.”

It was true. Lucy was officially on bed rest due to the triplets. She was going to deliver weeks ahead of Ben but that was OK with him. He was happy that you could care for her while his little man was still cooking.

“You’re right. Which means that this might be our last date night for a long while.”

Ben hummed, “Right. Then let’s enjoy it.”

And that they did. They had chosen a restaurant outside of Manhattan. It was Ben’s decision. He wanted to take the car out one last time and it was too dangerous to go around the city at night with a pregnant belly. Outside of the city was indeed calmer. So calm that they were not disturbed when things got a bit hot and heavy in the back seat of Ben’s car.

As Ben slowly made his way outside of the car to go back in the backseat, Joe cocked an eyebrow, “Are you sure about this? I’m sure Clara would be asleep, and we could fool around in our room.”

“Want yon now,” Ben growled at the questioning male. He gave the other male a ‘come hither’ finger and Joe, without a belly to block his way, climbed from the back to the front to meet the blond. Due to Ben’s state, he could not be on Joe’s lap but that was fine. Joe loved being on Ben’s lap.

“Benny…I don’t think we have room to—” Ben did not wait for the ginger to finish, attacking his neck with kisses and a nip that would be visible in the morning. Joe moaned in response. Damn that man.

“Just rut up against me. I don’t care.” Ben was painstakingly hard. Joe could feel it against his thigh. He did what he was told, feeling like a school-boy, dry humping his boyfriend but he wanted to be a good husband and get the blond off, even though it wasn’t home plate.

Ben came far earlier than Joe, cursing to himself but recovering by diving into his husband’s pants and finishing him off, toying with the tip and twisting along the shaft until streams of cream soaked his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Good date night?”

Ben nodded with a somber grin, “Best date night.”

 

**_Joe teaches Clara how to properly hold a baby:_ **

 

“Okay so just like I showed you before!” Joe watched as Clara held her arms out in front of her as if she was going to make a circle with her arms. “A little closer, babe. Okay, see?”   


Joe mimicked how he wanted it, holding her arms close to him with the teddy bear resting in his arms comfortably. “We don’t wanna drop the baby, right?” 

Clara held her baby doll close, cradling it carefully though it wasn’t perfect just yet. “Like this?” She asked. 

“Kinda. Look! What daddy.” Joe whistled, watching as Frankie hurried over to him. Joe scooped him up, twisting her in his arms until she was cradled like a baby. “See! You gotta support the head and everything.”   


Clara tried again, though this time the baby doll was practically having the (faux) life squeezed out of it. 

“I’m doing it!” She cheered on.   


Joe let out a small laugh. “You did it, babe.” 

 

**_The first fourth of July after JJ is born:_ **

 

“Daddy….why isn’t JJ coming?” The strawberry blond princess questioned as Joe carried her on his shoulders to the pier to watch the fireworks.

“He’s only a few months, sweetie. The fireworks are too much for him. Papa is going to call and we will videotape the fireworks for him, all right?”

“…all right.” She was not happy about it but she understood. Her Papa was perfectly fine staying back while Joe had some much needed Daddy-Daughter time at the pier.

Joe remembered a time when he was her age. He loved growing up in Upstate New York for the sole reason that the fireworks on the Fourth of July were the best, away from the harsh city lights that drown the amazing view. Now, he had a three year old and five months old in tow. He did not want to take a day trip to upstate just for less than a half-hour of lights. 

Besides, he read up on five-month-old babies and fireworks. The two didn’t match. So Ben decided he’d stay behind and watch the show on the TV. When Joe called, he’d set up the tablet and explain to JJ all the absurd things that Americans do for patriotism. 

Joe and Clara brought a small cooler and a blanket as they sound space between the crowd. Inside the cooler, Joe took out two ice pops, handing one to his baby girl. She took it easily, coming to his side and snuggling soundly on his chest as the light show began. 

As his daughter rested comfortably at his side, Joe set up his tablet, connecting with his husband and angling the screen up toward the show. JJ was still awake, though, from the display, Joe could see he was fighting sleep. The fired round of fireworks from the conversation jolted him awake and soon, he slowly lifted his head to figure out where it was coming from. 

Clara waved her face and hands in front of the screen, “Hi JJ. Hi Papa. You see! Works!” She giggled as another set flew into the sky. She stood up in that moment as if she could somehow get even closer to the show, a red ice-pop still clung to her side, having been smeared already all over her hands and mouth. It was fine. Joe had wipes and he’d clean her all up later.

“Happy Fourth, Benny.”

“Happy Fourth, love.”

 

**_Sex with pregnant Ben:_ **

 

If anyone ever questioned Joe when he swore up and down that he was in a relationship with Ben for far more than his body, he should show them (but not really) the intimate moments with the blond when his stomach was a perfect basketball protruding from his stomach. Joe still found him hot as shit but societal norms would say otherwise. Pregnancy sex or just pregnant man in general just looked weird. Of course, that’s how Joe felt about himself when he was pregnant with Clara. Now with the tables turned, he saw that pregnancy did not affect at all how he felt for his husband. 

He was still smitten and could still get it up easily for his man. And he did. The ginger didn’t remember how exactly. He thought it perhaps it had something to do with the new pair of pants Joe was sporting. Who knows? Either way, Clara was out like a light and Ben demanded that Joe take him to bed for the night.

A part of Joe was a bit nervous. Ben was at the nine-month mark when it was very difficult for him to sleep and move but Ben still could care less at this moment. He whined until the ginger climbed on the bed, kneeling upright to pull off his PJ top. Ben never wore an undershirt to bed, so all Joe needed to do was take off his bottoms which weren’t part of the intimate acts. 

Ben could barely get his pants off anymore and Joe found it beyond cute. At this moment, Joe tried to make it not so cute, figuring out the best way for his lover to have a good time without it seeming like so much of a task to get into any position.

Ben swatted Joe’s hand away when he tried to take off his bottoms by himself. He worked to peel them off, leaning forward after they were off and on the floor, licking a stripe of saliva on Joe’s hardening shaft. Joe groaned, his hand automatically combing through Ben’s blond locks.

Ben decided to work Joe’s member a bit before getting the good stuff and lathering it graciously. “Ben…I’ll get the pillows, lay on your side. It will be most comfortable for you.” Joe had learned this from experience when the tables were turned. 

They worked best in the final months making love from the side. Sure, Joe was able to manipulate his legs and hips so that they were front-facing, but Joe didn’t like the angle all too much. He felt all scrunched up. Side-lying, everyone was comfortable.

Ben did as he was told, gradually making his head to his side with Joe placing a few extra pillows around them. Before the ginger came to lie behind him, he requested the blond to give him one more open-mouthed kiss on the lips before working strictly on his neck and fingers probing his hole.

“Shit…Joe. Another.” Ben groaned, his head turning to face the sheets so that his sounds of enjoyment were muffled. They would always worry about their daughter worrying, so they kept their pleasure known but soft.

Joe pushed three fingers into his husband before Ben begged for the real thing. Joe happily obliged, his long member slowly making his entrance. “All the way,” Ben said breathlessly.

Joe took no time, pulling one of Ben’s legs slightly up and back so that he could thrust hard enough to get the whole thing deep inside.

Ben frantically searched for his husband’s hand to take hold of and place on his hips, as if to tell him to keep going. Joe listened to the younger male, knowing that pregnancy sex was so fuckin’ much at once but, when it was done correctly and not interrupted by children outside of their bedroom or in the womb, it was glorious.

Joe finished inside Ben without a shudder. Ben stopped being embarrassed about finishing earlier than his non-pregnant counterpart. Instead, he let Joe take it as a job well done.

“Hey, Benny…you good?” The older male questioned, chuckling as he came to the blond’s side, who was clearly beside himself. He was humming softly to one of their favorite songs and that was enough for Joe to know he did good.

 

**_Sex with pregnant Joe:_**

 

“N-no. Keep going….please.” Joe begged as Ben got into position, lathering his fingers well and probing several inside his husband before Joe was hit a massive amount of kicks from his stomach. He was in his eight-month and this was such an opportunity. Rami and Lucy had taken the kids out for dinner and the movies so that the men could have one night alone for once. And here Joe was, right in the middle of getting hot and heavy, his cock throbbing and his rear begging and swift kicks hit him again and again.

“Are you sure, love?” Ben said, his fingers stopping the moment he realized that Joe had a hand on his stomach to silence his stomach. Joe didn’t like having his kids-to-be born “awake” when he was getting hot and heavy. He thought his kids would know and be traumatized, post-birth.

“Benny…please…it was just once…do not stop.” The ginger stated breathlessly. Ben could sense the urgency, so Ben pulled his fingers out and lathered his cock up graciously. 

He entered the ginger easily, causing a shuddered breath from his lover. Joe tried not to show how much he missed this, while Ben made it known when he was pregnant with JJ how horny he was and how much he wanted Joe. Ben was a model. It was hard not to want Benjamin. But Joe wanted him from his body and his mind. He swore. But right now, just his body. 

Ben adjusted his position, taking hold of Joe’s legs and pulling it back, his bicep reaching over to be tucked under Joe’s head so that the ginger could rest on it and Ben could go in deeper from the side. And deeper he did, causing Joe to yelp as the cock grazed his prostate. “Right there,” Joe announced and Ben was determined to keep the angle until….he couldn’t.

Just as they found a rhythm, the kick returned, becoming a round of kicks instead of sparse ones. Joe practically cried as he told Ben to pull out, so uncomfortable by the feelings in the front that he could no longer enjoy the pleasure in the front. “I-I’m so sorry.” He uttered as he rolled onto the back, holding the side of his stomach, wincing and completely flaccid again.

“It’s OK to love. We will get the next time. Be right back.” Ben left to finish himself off and Joe laid on the couch, cursing out his little miracle who ruined his sexy times for a late-night dance party with his diaphragm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also message us on Tumblr and ask us to write things or just request headcanons. Or just ask us stuff!
> 
> We have something special planned for Friday. Stay turned.


	11. Drive Me Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was never meant to be canon. It was an amusing idea that Lyssi had mentioned that we just couldn't ignore any longer. It's written and published now, out for the world to see. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Allen and Gwilym were getting married. It had been quite obvious from the very beginning that the two would tie a knot as they had been practically inseparable from the moment Allen made New York his permanent home. Ben had never been one to gloat, but he took full credit for introducing the two and was proud to be Allen’s best man for the event. 

 

From what the Irishman had said, the proposal was beautiful and romantic; a beachside escape that just the two of them shared. Joe and Ben had been rather biased as their own propose was extremely personal and perfectly tender, but they let the other two men gush over how wonderful it was. 

 

They had agreed to help plan since the wedding itself would be rather small. Gwilym didn’t have much family, in or out of the states, and while Allen was fine with flying his whole family across the seas, it still wouldn’t rack up to that many people.

 

They were currently sitting on the floor of Gwilym’s home, going through pictures that both Allen and Gwilym had provided. They wanted that whole cheesy thing of pictures of them at different stages of their lives. Them as babies and toddlers and pre-teens. Going up and up in age until they were at their current age. 

 

Allen poured out a box of old pictures he had kept over the years that he and Joe were currently going through. Gwilym and Ben were sitting at the table, skimming scrapbooks that Gwilym had put together over the years. 

 

Rami, meanwhile, was sitting on the floor, keeping an eye on JJ and Clara. The latter was currently reading aloud to them, much to Rami’s confusion due to the toddler changing up the story and providing a completely different ending. 

 

“Just let her tell it her way, Rams,” Joe called out, smiling sweetly to the little girl. Joe turned back to the pictures, reading the descriptions off the back. Some were from when they were kids, in London or even Cornwall wrote all over them with the date. 

 

He went through the years, adoring the chance to see how young Ben was in most of these pictures. 

 

“How did I end up with such an adorable man?” Joe asked aloud. 

 

“I ask myself that every day,” Gwilym mentioned, tipping his head back to wink to Allen. 

 

“Juilliard. We went there,” Joe mentioned, pausing at one of the pictures. It was from ten years ago at least. A baby faced Allen standing in front of the school building. 

 

“That was the first time I came to America,” The Irishman admitted. “Came across the sea to visit my best friend.” 

 

“Did you do anything fun?” Rami called from across the way. 

 

“Oh, regular tourist stuff. Ben showed me a good time. Took me to parties and such.” Allen skimmed through the box, pulling out another picture of a young Allen and Ben at a party. “It was early in his career and I think he was trying to show off.” He added with a knowing glance to the blond. 

 

“I was not showing off. I wanted you to have fun,” Ben argued, raising a brow to his husband, who just put his hands up in a silent defense. 

 

“Hey, I know that place,” Rami mentioned, standing beside them. 

 

Joe turned, seeing JJ was currently laying back on the floor, flailing about as he was left unattended. “Seriously dude?” Sending a glare to the man, Joe moved to grab him, letting Rami steal his seat. 

 

“This is on our campus. We’ve gone to parties there before.” 

 

“We never went to parties, Rami,” Joe grumbled, lifting JJ into his arms. 

 

“We did so! Remember that one right after graduation?” Rami asked, raising a brow to him. 

 

Joe thought for a moment before letting out a bit of a groan. Joe remembered far more than he wanted to.

 

 

**_thirteen years prior_**

 

 

Joe didn’t go to parties. Like ever. He wasn’t unpopular. Not really. He had a lot of people who knew him from class and there was always somebody who found it interesting that he was the kid from Jurassic Park. It was that very movie that paid for his college tuition so the only working he did was to keep himself busy and that was so on and off because Joe always kept himself busy. He wrote endlessly, always coming up with different script ideas.

 

He and Rami would make small-time movies for class or just for themselves. They met their freshman year and had been inseparable ever since. Joe never expected to cling to someone the way he did with Rami but he was thankful for it. Joe was the brains behind the project and Rami was the face. He was a good actor and even better producer. 

 

Joe was passionate about his work but Rami could always find a way to get people interested. They had won an award for their final film and with degrees in hand, both men were ready to take on the world and celebrate properly. 

 

Joe’s idea of celebration was sitting with lots of food and cheap beer and watching old fashioned movies. He loved to talk about film and Rami was always down for a good discussion. This time around, however, he had something else in mind.

 

There was a huge party off-campus and they were going to it. It wasn’t that Joe couldn’t handle a party. He was awkward at times but he could handle himself well enough. He could keep himself out of trouble. He could stand in the corner and not bother anybody. Just drink whatever was in his cup and be content for the rest of the night. 

 

Rami put on a good face, dancing on the floor and drinking whatever he could find. A girl he had been flirting with for the past few weeks decided to show and Rami made it his goal to get her number by the end of the night. Rami had always been a bit of a ladies man. He was handsome and had a good smile. Confident with everything he did. All the while Joe just had that boyish charm to him. 

 

That wasn’t a bad thing, not in the least but people wanted more than that. They didn’t want a cute boy with dimples who would talk to you about films. They wanted someone who would drag you onto the dance floor and get crazy during the night. And that just wasn’t Joe. Not right away anyway. 

 

“God, is it supposed to burn?” Joe asked as he finished his shot, slamming the glass onto the counter.

 

“It wouldn’t be if you drank more often,” Rami mentioned as he scanned the crowd for his last love. 

 

Joe sent him a glare as he finished the final shot, leaning back against the counter in defeat. His head hurt and his stomach was heavy from the alcohol. The music playing wasn’t terrible but nothing worthy of actually dancing to. 

 

“You just gotta get out there Joe,” Rami told him. “Just find someone pretty and make them yours.”

 

“That sounds weird, Rami,” Joe muttered, looking out to the crowd. The party had a good turn out but he still felt so out of place. “So are you gonna go talk to Lucy or just stare at her all night?”

 

“She’s talking to her friends. I don’t wanna interrupt.” Rami answered, sipping his glass slowly. “I’m gonna marry her.” He added bluntly.

 

Joe shorted, turning away from the crowd. “Yeah and I’m gonna marry a supermodel.” 

 

“Okay, Mr. Grumpy Gills. I refuse to let you be boring all night.” Going over, Rami grabbed a red solo cup and thrust it into his friend's hand. “Go get yourself a drink and don’t find me until you’re completely drunk.” 

 

“I just finished all those shots!” Joe argued but Rami just pushed him in the direction of the drink table. Joe went off reluctantly went off to the keg, pausing when his hand landed on someone else. He pulled away, watching as the other party-goers did the same. “Sorry.” 

 

“After you,” the guy offered. Joe shook his head, gesturing for the man to go. He took the nozzle and filled his cup, nodding his head towards Joe. “Can I fill you up?” 

 

Joe paused, his eyes widening slightly. He knew the city was filled with millions of people from all different places, but hearing someone with such a distinct accent, far different from his own, was enough to catch the redhead off guard. 

 

He repeated the words in his head before he realized what he meant. Joe held out his cup, letting the guy fill it up with whatever beer the party thrower supplied. He took a sip, grimacing at the taste. “God this taste like garbage.” He muttered quietly to himself.

 

“American beer is like watered-down piss,” Englishman responded. “But whatever gets the job down. Cheers mate!” Lifting his cup, the man took a long sip before leaving the table and going off into the crowd. 

 

 

&

 

 

Ben didn’t know what to make of America when he arrived. He took all the money he had saved up over the years and just booked it right for New York, where the streets were painted in gold or so they said. He did what he could, working odd jobs here and therein allowing his good looks to path the way for him. 

 

It worked for the most part. He was still working his way up the ladder with modeling, mostly just doing small-time stuff now. He knew he had the potential to be bigger and do better, but he didn’t mind so much. He was willing to put up with the hard work if it meant leaving his old life behind. 

 

Somehow, someway he had been able to persuade Allen to visit him in between semesters of the university. Ben was taking classes in the area, having given up on going to any real schooling. He didn’t need university or some fancy degree. He was good at maths and had a nice face. Everything else he’d just muddle through it. 

 

Allen gave him a week and in that week the blond was determined to show him all the wonderful things New York had to offer. They went around and saw all the buildings and the Statue of Liberty, they bought Big Apple tee shirts and keychains and all that shit. However, it was a party that Ben had been invited to that the blond was very excited about. 

 

Ben went to parties often enough. Places where beautiful people met and drank and did drugs. He skipped the latter and found that a drink was welcome now and then. Granted, you weren’t supposed to drink until 21, but nobody checked that shit at these sort of events. 

 

This one was a bit more laid back, thrown at some university. One of the photographers Ben worked with was throwing it and invited him along and Ben took it as a networking opportunity. He’d get his name and face out there while also showing Allen a good time. 

 

His girlfriend was out of town for the weekend, so they used it as a boys night. Ben was a loyal boyfriend and had no intentions of leaving with anybody other than Allen. 

 

“I’m fairly certain several of these guys are gay you know,” Ben mentioned to him as they stood on the sidelines. 

 

People were drinking and dancing and having a good time. He wanted Allen to have a good time too. The last thing he wanted was for his best friend to have a shitty time and never come back to America. 

 

Allen hummed softly, his eyes focusing on the camera he had brought with him. He used photography as a hobby and had upgraded his camera during the holidays. He had been taken countless pictures during their time together and it had been Ben’s idea for him to bring the camera on this night. What a better way to save these memories, eh? 

 

“Are you going to dance?” Allen asked him over the music. 

 

It was fun, popular stuff that was played endlessly on the radio. Ben liked dancing, that much was true but found that doing anything when his girlfriend was away just felt wrong. 

 

“Dancing isn’t cheating,” Allen argued, but the blond just finished his cup. His third of the night. He didn’t plan on getting pissed, knowing he and Allen still had to make it back to his flat. And while Allen was no longer that soft little boy, he was in no way strong enough to carry Ben back. 

 

“Are you going to talk to anybody other than your work friends?” 

 

“Didn’t know I was supposed to be mingling,” Ben mentioned. 

 

He was, however. He knew the fastest way to get jobs was putting yourself out there and showing your availability. Currently, aside from the photographer, the only people Ben had interacted with had been some guy at the keg and Allen himself. 

 

He was content with just standing there and drinking, but he knew he had to do more. So he did. He went onto the dance floor, allowing Allen to take pictures of him as he danced without a care. It was fun and casual and he even dragged Allen onto the dance floor with him a time or two. While the man didn’t seem keen on finding a lover for the night, Ben still wanted his best friend to have a good time. 

 

And he seemed to be until Allen got a bit too comfortable on the dance floor and ended up knocking someone’s drink all over them. He apologies like crazy, all while the guy, who was halfway drunk as well, just shrugged it off. 

 

“Is he going to be all right?” Ben mentioned to a nearby party-goer, both watching as the man ripped his shirt off in the middle of the party. 

 

“He’s fine. He’s having fun.” The other man answered. After a moment Ben realized it was the same guy from the keg. A pretty young thing with red hair and pale skin. Being a beautiful person himself, Ben could appreciate someone equally good looking, even if the guy made it quite obvious he didn’t seem very comfortable in his skin.

 

The guy must have caught Ben staring as his pale cheeks turned red and he quickly went to grab his now shirtless friend and got off the dance floor. 

 

 

&

 

 

Joe dragged Rami over to the corner, holding onto the man’s beer-stained shirt as they settled. Rami wasn’t drunk enough to do anything stupid, like continue stripping, but he was out of it enough to not care that he was standing there without a shirt in the middle of the party. 

 

Joe had been ready to suggest they go home when the lady of Rami’s affections caught his attention. Lucy was sweet and beautiful and younger than them. She still had another year of school to do though Rami was utterly and completely enthralled by her. 

 

Joe understood why. She was incredibly pretty and super adorable. Joe himself even had a tiny bit of a crush on her, though that was quickly squashed when Rami admitted his personal feelings for her. Rami began chatting her up right there, leaving Joe to drink on his own. 

 

He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there alone, watching as Rami spat the best of his game, making Lucy smile and giggle like a freaking school girl. She didn’t seem to mind that he was shirtless and partially drunk.

 

Finally, the red-head had enough and went off to tell the man that he was heading out. It was late and he was tired. If he kept on drinking, then he’d wind up getting sick and dizzy. Joe liked alcohol but hated the morning after feeling and he was enough cups in to know that he’d be completely hungover in the following day.

 

“Joe! Joe _no_. Come on. We’re supposed to be having fun. Why can’t you just have fun?’ Rami begged him, pulling Joe aside so Lucy didn’t have to hear their conversation. 

 

“I am having fun. Too much fun. I have to stop myself before I become addicted.” Joe told him, his tone bleak and teasing. 

 

“You went through college without a single drunken night or one nightstand. Is that how you wanna leave your legacy?”

 

“You mean gradating with a 4.0 and honors? Yes, thats exactly how I want to leave.” Joe told him honestly. “Also, we’ve had drunken nights. Maybe a little too many.” 

 

“Drinking alone in our dorms isn’t what I meant and you know it.” Rami shook his head, backing away. “You’re lame.” He told him. “For one night — just one — why can’t you just live a little? Find someone pretty and have no regrets?”

 

“You’re standing here without a shirt.” 

 

“And I have no regrets!” Rami insisted, tossing his arms in the air triumphantly. “One night Joe. Just one night.” He turned then and went back to his lady love, leaving Joe feeling more alone than ever. 

 

It wasn’t that Joe was lame or didn’t want regrets. He just never wanted what Rami wanted. He gave up acting because he didn’t want to be famous by face value. He wanted to offer so much more and parties like these never offered him a thing. 

 

And yet Rami’s words haunted him as he made his way out of the party. There had been a handful of guys and girl during his life, though none of them stuck around. And Joe was sure there would be a handful more. Joe was a sickeningly hopeless romantic and he was all right with that for now. After all, he was young and still had so much time left. 

 

Still, he found that Rami had a point. Doing something wild and crazy without regrets would be a great way to end the school year. 

 

He was thinking it over, making his way to the door when he bumped into another party goer. It was the blond from earlier, whose friend had caused Rami to lose his shirt. He was gorgeous with bright eyes and an infectious smile. Joe didn’t even know why someone with such a nice accent would be at a party like this. He was certainly far from home. 

 

The blond adjusted his footing, laughing drunkenly and smiling brightly. “We have to stop meeting like this mate.” He muttered, those green eyes glistening. 

 

Joe had never seen green eyes so beautiful before and it was enough for him to know he wouldn’t regret his next decision. 

 

Stepping forward, Joe took hold of the man’s face, breaking the space between them to plant a heavy kiss on his red lips. The blond was frozen for a moment, shocked beyond belief by a random stranger kissing him, but just as Joe felt ready to pull away, the other moved in and deepened the kiss. 

 

They stood there for a minute, kissing and moaning, a short make out session that left both breathless and panting. The blond opened his mouth to speak, but Joe left before he could, feeling like he was walking on air as he left the party; a Britney Spears song playing as he hurried out the door. 

 

 

&

 

 

“Are you all right? That was rather sudden.” Allen appeared beside him, asking him carefully. 

 

Ben stared after the stranger, looking rather frazzled and maybe a bit starry-eyed. “Is it cheating if someone else kisses you?” Ben asked, speaking at last.

 

“Don’t know. Perhaps just don’t say anything?” Allen mentioned, adjusting his camera strap. “I think I got a picture.” He added though the blond was mostly ignoring him at this point.

 

Ben licked his lips, thinking about the taste the man left behind. It was sweet, despite them drinking nothing but watered-down beer. Ben wanted to follow him off but remembered that he was not only with someone else, but also with Allen, and at this point, still very straight. 

 

“God I love America.” Ben breathed, watching as the mysterious man walked off without a word. “I love redheads too.” 

 

“Sure you do,” Allen mentioned, patting his shoulder. “Come on. We better head home.” 

 

With a bob of his head, Ben followed the shorter male out, leaving the party behind. 

 

 

**_thirteen years later_**

 

 

Joe sat with his head in his hands, letting out a series of swears as Rami erupted into laughter beside him. It seemed that night all those years ago hadn’t been some vivid dream that the man dreamt of after a lame night of drinking. 

 

Joe had no real memory of the man he kissed and believed he made it all up in a stupid attempt to make himself seem cooler. That night had been properly forgotten about up until this moment when Allen revealed he had photo evidence of it existing. 

 

Key in point, a picture he had taken of Ben kissing a stranger. 

 

A stranger that just so happened to be a male carrier that Ben met years later. 

 

And had a child with. 

 

And married. 

 

_Jesus fucking Christ._

 

“Oh my god, I’m gonna vomit.” Joe groaned, making Rami laugh even harder. 

 

“I think this is wonderful,” Gwilym mentioned from the sidelines. 

 

“You turned him gay, Joe,” Rami called out. “You should be bragging!” 

 

“I didn’t turn him gay, you moron!” Joe snapped, looking over to his husband who was smirking in the corner. “Oh my god. How. Just _how_?”

 

“I agree with Gwilym.” Ben insisted. “This is fantastic. Look at that picture!” 

 

It wasn’t as gaudy as Joe first thought. They are kissing, but it wasn’t like their tongues were down one another throats. The picture wasn’t gross or embarrassing, but rather simply amazing and practically unbelievable. 

 

“I’m going to frame it. Hang it up in the hallway and keep it as a reminder that we were always meant to find one another.”

 

“We’re not doing that. At like all.” Joe shook his head swiftly. 

 

But Ben just kept on smiling, bowing his head to steal a kiss from his husband. 

 

A kiss that he was more than happy to give him. Whether it be now or thirteen years prior. And while Joe spent the entire following week wallowing in self-hatred for all the pointless years they had spent apart, all the loneliness they had both experienced, Ben persuaded him to let the pain go and focus on the future they had together.

 

Ben also persuaded him to hang the picture up on the wall, in between snapshots of their children and their wedding photo. It was a beautiful speaking piece and they both happy to have it to show off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment to tell us if you'd like to know what would've happened if Joe didn't take off running! Seriously, we hope you enjoyed this, we have been eagerly waiting to post it. The next chapter will be posted soon enough. We'll be back on our usual bullshit; fluffy one-shots and all that, carrying on with the wonderful Mazzello clan. 
> 
> Feel free to next up questions or request on Tumblr (ThatSpunkyDwarf and WriteYourOwnLifeStory) 
> 
> And if you're a Dealor fan, feel free to check out my latest story California Dreamin'; it's a personal favorite of mine. 
> 
> Until next time.


	12. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As accurate as possible because I literally wrote this on the bus ride back from the Central Park Zoo, so props to me. 
> 
> This was mostly written for Lyssi and me because we love the idea of them just doing stuff like a family, but here is another small moment in their lives. Enjoy!

No matter how large their careers were, no matter how many offers that came their way, Ben and Joe always made time for their children. That was the deal. When Clara was just a few months old, they sat down and decided all the things they wanted to do as a family. Joe took out his handy-dandy notebook and wrote all the things he wanted he wanted his child (and eventually children) to experience. 

 

Disneyworld was a must. What kid didn’t want to run around a theme park and see all their beloved movie characters? Universal Studios were phenomenal, especially since Joe had so many stories to tell about his old acting life. He missed it sometimes but found that he got so much more joy out of being behind the camera. 

 

Yankee games would become a yearly thing, especially since half of Clara’s clothing was pink baseball jerseys. When JJ was born, he did the same to him, getting him an adorable little outfit as he began researching any NYC little league teams. They had a long while before the boy could play, but he always liked to be prepared. 

 

Ben wanted them to go to all the museums, hoping that the children would become cultured beyond their years. They had taken Clara to Adventureland with his brother and sister and their own kids. She was still young and could only go on the toddler rides, but she seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. 

 

They were in talks of heading to Hershey Park during the summer after Joe finished editing the film he and Rami were currently working on. They only had three weeks left and after that, he’d be as free as a bird.

 

But life had been pretty hectic and with Clara now doing child-modeling with Calvin Klein with Ben, the two men decided to take a weekend off and spend time alone with their children. They did little things like go to the park so Clara could run around and blow off some steam while JJ sat happily in the swing, glad to be lazy and be pushed back and forth. 

 

Their toddler had finally decided to give up on crawling and began walking around. It took a bit of time, especially since he was spoiled to hell and back. Both men knew it was terrible, holding onto him constantly, but they couldn’t help themselves. JJ was the cutest baby (aside from Clara) with dusty blond hair, big hazel eyes and was chubby all around. 

 

He just wanted to be held and wanted to give everyone around him great big hugs and both men were more than happy to oblige. But eventually, JJ decided he didn’t want to be a baby-baby anymore and took his big sister’s hand to take his first few steps. Clara was the most excited, jumping up and down eagerly at her brothers work, resulting in him plopping back down. 

 

It was a great feeling, seeing their children grow up so slow and neither Ben nor Joe could be happier. 

 

They decided to spend their Sunday at the Central Park zoo, having not gone since Ben fell pregnant. Clara was ecstatic, ready to tell JJ all about the animals they had there. They had taken her once when she was just a baby and while she didn’t remember it remotely, she was happy to insist that she did remember it all and that all of the animals there remembered her. 

 

They dressed accordingly because Ben refused to go out as a family and not look like they walked out of some form of catalog. They had their bright and colorful tee shirts with their titles on the back. Ben proudly wore amusing “NOT THE MAMA” shirt (referencing a show barely anyone these days would even know) while Joe had his (slightly suggestive) tee that read “CALL ME DADDY.” 

 

Clara had her pretty pink tutu and leggings with her own shirt reading with two monkeys on it, hers reading “BIG SISTER” while JJ had a matching shirt with denim shorts (that seemed more like pants due to his short legs) that read “LITTLE BROTHER”

 

Joe was sure they all looked adorable ridiculous and he happily passed over their tickets so they could enter. Clara was running back and forth, remembering to stay in sight while also seeing everything she could. JJ was content with sitting in his stroller, letting Ben wheel him around and see all the animals. They sat through the sea lion feeding and went up to see the bears. 

 

Clara was explaining to her brother that red pandas aren’t really even that red and Ben made a cheeky comment about Joe’s hair matching the animals coloring. 

 

They took JJ out of the stroller when they went into the children’s section, allowing Clara to be up close with the adorable little farm animals they kept there. JJ was a bit more timid, wanting Joe to hold his hand when the pigmy goats came by, all the while his brave little girl was more than happy to introduce herself to the Patagonian cavy’s they added. 

 

They went to see the birds and the bats and the adorable monkeys, though it was the final section that really caught the eyes of their children. Ben had always enjoyed penguins, finding their coloring to be very similar to men in tuxedos. 

 

“Papa look! He’s having a shower!” Clara giggled, her adorably mixed accent lighting up the dimly lit area. 

 

Ben knelt beside her as they watched the zoo caretaker run the hose over all the penguins to wash them off proper after a feeding. JJ was getting antsy in Joe’s arms, so he set him down carefully. 

 

With those little legs of his, he wobbled around, getting to get a sense of where he was going in the darkness as well as get used to his first pair of shoes (Adidas, of course). He turned this way and that way, his limbs loose and relaxed as he still didn’t have full control of them. 

 

Joe watched as JJ turned away from the penguins and set his sights onto the next tank over. The puffins swam happily, ducking underneath the water and popping up without a care. JJ took off like a bandit, running as fast as those legs would take him until he smacked right into the tank, falling back onto the ground. 

 

Joe was there in a second, scooping him up and laughing as he played it off like it was nothing. “Look, buddy! Puffins! Can you say puffin for daddy?” 

 

“Puff!” He repeatedly easily, wrinkling his nose to get out the sting. 

 

Clara had been a good speaker, but JJ was a quick learner. He repeated everything like a little parrot and didn’t mix up his letters the way his sister did. JJ, who also bounced back from everything, rubbed his chubby little hand against his nose, giggling as the puffin popped up from the water; the infectious sound catching the attention of Clara and Ben.

 

The blondes hurried over, with Clara joining in the giggling as the baby puffin appeared. Ben leaned down, kissing his son’s nose gently, letting the toddler babble incoherently as if to explain what exactly what they were looking at. 

 

Ben bobbed his head alone, agreeing with everything JJ was saying. They stayed at the puffins until Clara asked them so sweetly if they could go get lunch. JJ whined a bit but waved goodbye to his new friends, taking Joe’s hand as they walked out of the section and off to the cafe across the way. 

 

Clara had never been a picky eater and that was a godsend for moments like these. Ben got her chicken tenders and fries (he had given on fighting with Joe about calling them chips), which they shared while Joe fed JJ his mashed fruit while chomping down a good old fashioned grilled cheese. 

 

It would be a rare moment for the Mazzello children to ever be bad, especially in public, but all children threw tantrums. They were small and young and didn’t understand the world just yet; completely understandable. But none of that happened today, which meant a trip to the gift shop. 

 

Clara ran about, given permission to pick out one single toy. It was a hard task, especially with all the things they had. Joe took JJ around, letting him touch all the stuffed animals so he could make up his own little mind on what he wanted to bring home with them. 

 

In the end, they all chose what they wanted. Joe, who was a slut for a good tee-shirt, found one with a sloth on it saying “MY SPIRIT ANIMAL.” Ben those a necklace with a circular pendant reading “PAPA BEAR” as well as a small bear on it. Clara picked out a stuffed red panda toy for her collection as well as the book “AND TANGO MAKES THREE” because how could Joe say no to that? 

 

And JJ, well after circling around and around, looking at all the stuffed animals, the young boy found his own little spirit animal. High up on the shelf sat the stuffed baby puffin, just waiting to be taken home. JJ stared with big hazel eyes, jumping up in a futile attempt to grab it. Ben lifted him with ease, letting the toddler take the toy down. 

 

“Puff!” He showed it off proudly, hugging the stuffed animal tightly against his chest. 

 

“Yes, love. Puffin.” Ben teased, kissing his blond head as he brought him over so they could check out. 

 

While Joe was a native to New York and Ben had lived there long enough to navigate local transit well enough, it was always a bit harder with children, so they took Ben’s car to and from the zoo. 

 

Joe looked into the back seat as they headed home, carefully listening to Clara who was trying to read the book they had purchased. She was too young to do so perfectly, so she made up her own story in her head. Any story she could come up wouldn’t be as wild as gay penguins, so he went along with it, knowing he’d read her the correct story later that night. 

 

JJ, on the other hand, had fallen asleep in his car seat, like the humming of the car engine and the exciting day they had knocked him out. He was hugging his puffin to his chest and Joe was fairly certain that the stuffed animal would become a staple in his life. 

 

Joe caught Ben’s eyes as he turned back around; the silent realization that this was their life swept through them easily. It wasn’t what they expected; spending a Sunday afternoon at the Central Park Zoo, chasing after a wild four-year-old and keeping tabs on a wobbling one-year-old, but they were happy. So very, very happy. And days like this, so peaceful and fun, well more would come their way soon enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I Could Turn Back Time will be updated at a much later date. Until then, I do believe the next update will be for their next adventure. If you follow us on Tumblr, you'll already know what it is :)


	13. That's Amore

Joe always wanted to be a director. Ever since he was a child, when he first stepped foot onto the studio lot, ready for his big break, he was fascinated by the camera and all the things it could do. He knew it was lame at times; being the screwy little child star who used to walk around with a camera and dream up scenarios where he was winning an Oscar for one of his creations.  
  
Joe had come a long way since then, working hard with Rami to make the films they wanted to make. The indie work was small, but it was theirs and they were proud of that. However, small-time films weren’t going to get him to where he wanted to be, so when the production companies started getting involved, he knew it was a godsend.  
  
A gift and a curse, he knew deep down. The big-name would allow them to get better funding and make better movies, but the influence the companies were killer. They had so much so said, in every aspect of filming. From the casting, the filming locations, to the editing team that was working on the product.  
  
Joe tried everything to stay positive, but it was getting to the point where the latest film felt more like a project he had to do for school than something he was doing with his career. In the end, Joe left California with his hands his up in surrender, allowing the editing team to finish up while he returned home to his family.  
  
Ben hadn’t been expected him as he returned without informing a single soul, choosing to instead storm into the apartment they shared, tossing down his suitcases right in the hallway and throw himself onto the bed without saying a word.  
  
Clara was the first to spot him, squealing happily as she skipped through the hallway and saw his bedroom door open. She pulled herself onto the bed, hugging him happily while he just laid there and accepted the love he was being given.  
  
Ben appeared in the doorway, holding JJ to his chest. “You said you wouldn’t be back for two weeks,” He mentioned, going to sit on the edge of the bed.  
  
“I couldn’t do it anymore,” Joe confessed to him. “I just had to come home. I let them have their way with the film and I just . . . I don’t care anymore.”  
  
Joe knew it was true, though it hurt him to say so. He loved his work, all his films. He put his heart and soul into every single film he made, whether it was big or small, but this time around he just couldn’t be bothered. His name would be attached to something he didn’t care about. And he just didn’t care.  
  
“I’m sorry, love,” Ben mentioned softly, running a gentle hand up and down his arm gently.  
  
JJ wiggled from his hold, wanting to lay down on their father just as his sister was. Joe had been away from his family for far too long and all he wanted was to just fall into the massive love and affection these two little monsters he created could offer him.  
  
“All I want is to move on from it all. Pretend it never happened.” He confessed, closing his eyes slowly.  
  
“Perhaps Daddy is in need of a vacation?” Ben suggested gently.  
  
“We are not going to D-I-S-N-E-Y. That’s not a vacation, that is hell on earth.” Joe told him sternly. “I don’t want to go anywhere near California or Florida or anywhere that is going to remind me of that stupid freaking movie I spent months dealing with.”  
  
“There has to be somewhere we can go,” Ben suggested lightly. “We’ll figure it during nap time,”  
  
“No nap!” JJ whined, cuddling closer to Joe.  
  
“Daddy is going to nap. Goodnight.” The redhead mentioned, getting the two children to giggle madly.  
  
Both men were able to get them to sleep, after a bit of persisting and song singing. Ben was serious when he suggested they go on a holiday. Joe had been incredibly stressed over the film and Ben himself had just wrapped up a double-length shoot, so they had more than enough time apart.  
  
“I don’t want to go without the kids,” Ben argued quietly. He knew it would be best. That way they could just go off and do what they wanted, but the idea of being away from their children pained the blond in a way he didn’t want to speak about.  
  
“Has to be somewhere we could take them that isn’t some theme park,” Joe mentioned. Both Clara and JJ were too young to fully appreciate any of those places anyway. It wasn’t worth the money or effort they’d have to put into it until they were a tad bit older.  
  
Joe leaned back in his seat, thinking over their options as Ben moved around the kitchen. It was still early, but they had no plans to go anywhere. Besides, it was five o’clock somewhere. Grabbing a bottle of wine, Ben poured them each a glass, Joe’s eyes widening as he handed it over.  
  
“Italy.” He muttered with a cool realization.  
  
“What about Italy?” Ben questioned, plopping down in his seat.  
  
“I have dual citizenship!” Joe reminded him. “We can go to my family villa.”  
  
“How is it you made fun of me for coming from wealthy parents when your family owns a bloody villa in another country?”  
  
“We’ll take my mom with us!” Joe insisted. “She can watch the kids while we enjoy ourselves.”  
  
“Something tells me your mum won’t be very pleased being used like that.”  
  
Joe rolled his eyes, sipping down his glass in one gulp. “Are you kidding? She’d love it! She could show them off to all our relatives. Plus, we’ll pay for her airfare. We could go to all the wineries and eat all the fancy rich people food.”  
  
“You’re serious about this.”  
  
Joe was all bright-eyed and eager, and maybe a little bit desperate as well. They had never gone on vacation together. Sure, they had their honeymoon and their baby-moon, but aside from that, they never did anything for themselves. Their lives revolve around their family and their careers and that was fine, but sometimes you just needed time away from it all.  
  
“All right. Well. Let’s call your mum and see what she thinks about it.” Ben decided, sipping slowly at his class.  
  
Mrs. Mazzello, as it turned out, was as eager to go as her son was. They had spent a good portion of their lives going to visit family and just vacationing on the wonderful Italian countryside. Just as Joe suspected, his mother was more than eager to keep an eye on her grandchildren and show them off to all the friends and family they had there, allowing the men a bit of privacy during the time.  
  
They gave themselves four days to pack and prepare, as the only thing they had to purchase were the plane tickets. Ben had been to Italy before thanks to different runway show he had done during fashion week and while she was too young to fully understand where they were doing, Clara was just as ready to go on a vacation (or ‘Cation’ as she called it) with her parents.  
  
Allen and Gwilym agreed to keep Frankie for the time being, making that one less thing they had to worry about.  
  
Rather than just pay for first-class tickets, Joe decided to rent out an entire private jet to take them there. Because if he was going to work with one of the biggest film studios in the world, he was going to take advantage of the blood money that came with it. The flight was about nine hours, give or take a handful of minutes, and Joe was determined to make it worthwhile.  
  
His mom was sitting in the back, getting some work done that she had brought along while Joe and Ben entertained their kids. JJ was a bit nervous while on the plane, while Clara adored looking out the windows at all the clouds they passed.  
  
They ate and played games and when the two finally fell asleep, Joe tucked them into their seats. They had a bit of time left over and Joe himself decided to catch up on some snoozing, leaving his husband to sit alone with his iPad, watching whatever he could find.  
  
Joe wasn’t sure how long he was out for, but when he woke, Ben was still seated beside him; headphones on and eyes trained on the iPad. Joe moved about, checking on the kids and how much longer they had. Clara was watching something of her own while JJ was running up and down the lane on wobbly legs until Joe scooped him up.  
  
When he sat back down in his seat, he peeked over to see what it was Ben was watching and he found himself on the small screen. “Seriously?” He muttered, shaking his head at the blond.  
  
Ben paused the scene, pulling his headphones off to speak with him. “I’ve never seen this before.”  
  
“We’ve been together for four years and you’ve never watched The Pacific? I feel like I should be offended.”  
  
“This is . . . very interesting.” Ben admitted, clearing his throat.  
  
“Well, yeah. I had a southern accent and became low-key racist.” Joe laughed, letting JJ play with his hands. “It was a good mini-series. I’m pretty proud of my work in it.”  
  
He had worked on the mini-series after finishing school. He was fresh into the writing game and Rami had been working on some failed TV show at the time. He wanted to get his name out there again and what better way to do that than to work on an HBO special? It was well received and even if mostly forgotten about, he was glad to be involved in it, especially now that he is witnessing it through Ben’s eyes.  
  
Ben, who had turned off the iPad and was currently shifting awkwardly in his seat. “Certainly interesting.” He mentioned aloud.  
  
“Well yeah. US history.” Joe mentioned though something told him that wasn’t what Ben was referring to. “Are you okay? You look flushed.”  
  
They had been on planes together before. Ben had been flown all over the world thanks to fashion week and more than enough times had Joe tagged along because the time apart was just too brutal to put up with.  
  
“I’ve never seen you like that before,” Ben confessed, sitting up in his seat. He quirked his head around, checking and double-checking to make sure that nobody was paying any attention to them. “Growling and all.”  
  
“Growling?” Joe mimicked. “I didn’t growl. When did I growl?”  
  
“You were holding a bloody gun out and your teeth were bared like a beast in the wild..”  
  
Joe didn’t know if he should laugh or be confused. Was Ben uncomfortable seeing him like that? It wasn’t every day that he had to act with such strong emotions. He had cried on-screen and screamed bloody murder when a fake dinosaur was chasing him, but The Pacific called for a completely different range of emotions. Everything was real and raw. All the pain his character went through, Joe experienced on another level.  
  
“It’s just . . . interesting.” Ben said for the third time.  
  
And that’s when it hit Joe. Ben wasn’t comfortable. He wasn’t alarmed or weirded out by seeing Joe like that.  
  
He was turned on.  
  
And just like that, Joe was smiling like an absolute fool. His hazel eyes were beaming as he watched his husband try to avoid eye contact. “You like it, don’t you?” He asked quietly.  
  
Joe lowered his voice purposely. He wouldn’t dare try to bring out the accent again. He was good at it, but that wasn’t him, but he would make his voice low for the sake of driving his man buck wild.  
  
“You like seeing me angry and glaring. Like hearing me growl.”  
  
“Jesus Christ, Joe.”  
  
A small chuckle escaped his lips and Joe leaned forward, the tip of his nose grazing against Ben’s soft cheek. “I don’t think we can get away with joining the mile high club, but we’ll have more than enough space at the villa.”  
  
“This is meant to be a family getaway,” Ben practically whined.  
  
“It’s our vacation, Benny.” Joe reminded him. “And what better way to spend our vacation than to do whatever we want?”  
  
Ben turned his head, those green eyes that haunted Joe were filled with more raw passion and need than he had seen in a good while. They had another hour or so until they landed, but something told Joe it would be worth the wait.

  
If the plane ride wasn't enough to tucker their children out, the car ride and fresh air once at the villa certainly did. It took one Disney bedtime short story before Clara and JJ were out.

Virginia was right outside the door when Joe and Ben came out from putting their little ones to bed, “I scheduled plans for us to meet up with your cousins tomorrow afternoon, Joseph, so why don’t you boys take a walk around the villa before the sun sets while I pour myself a glass of genuine wine.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Joe beamed, holding his hand out for his husband to take. He vaguely remembered the area from when he was a child. They were bound to get lost in one or more rooms, but what better way than to get lost than with his husband?

Ben’s eyes glowed, his gorgeous emerald eyes mixing with the golden sun he was watching set. Joe could sense that this trip was not just for him. Even though Ben never wanted to set foot in England ever again, there was something about Europe that drew a different side of Ben. A slowness that wasn't in New York’s nature. “Have you seen anything more beautiful?” Ben questioned, turning towards the falling sun, the rays sending a warm hue across the horizon.

Joe turned his gaze from the setting sun, admiring once again, how the hue reflected in Ben's eyes and profile, “Yeah...I have.”

Ben’s brows furrowed, his mind churning to understand who Joe was talking about until he turned to face his husband and began to blush. “You cheeky bastard.”

Joe grinned, stepping to face his hand, arms coming to wrap around his neck, “Sorry. Couldn't pass up the opportunity.”

Ben returned the grin, closing the gap to kiss his husband softly.

When the men parted, Joe did not close the gap completely, his lips coming over to wrap around Ben’s left ear instead, “Follow me, soldier.”

As he kissed his husband, a light when on in Joe’s head. He remembered a balcony on the far side of the villa. An area that his parents or relatives never went to. Joe remembered spending hours on that balcony, using the light from the sun to play his Gameboy.

Ben did not object to his husband pulling him across the mansion. In fact, from the moment his husband called him “soldier” in that low, almost growl that he bore in ‘The Pacific, Ben had become painfully hard.

Then Ben assessed where they were. They were outside. On a balcony. Sure, there were no homes or even animals on this side of the villa, but being outside and knowing that he was to be intimate with his husband was a shock for Ben. Joe was proud of who he was, but he’d rather keep his sex life behind closed doors.  
Perhaps Ben was wrong. Perhaps thought that Joe didn’t want to have sex, but instead, show him the back of the large house. But just as Ben doubted Joe’s intentions, the ginger was on him, those tender lips of his locking on his neck. Ben groaned, pulling Joe closer so that their pelvises were touching, revealing Ben’s odd turn on from his husband’s alter ego.

“Joe, Joe Joe,” Ben uttered breathlessly when Joe latched off him. The ginger hummed but did not say anything. His eyes were hooded, now filled with just as much raw passion as those of the blond.

“Fuck, that...role. I want you to top me but I’m a bloody idiot. I did not bring any condoms. I didn’t think I wanted it so badly.” Ben’s hands came to caress Joe’s face. Those hooded eyes and soft smile went wide.

“Good thing I am prepared,” Joe explains, Ben’s wide grin suddenly matching Joe’s.

But before Joe’s hands went any lower, Ben held onto his wrists for a moment, “This is so...open. You sure about this, love?”

Joe nodded, pulling away from Ben’s grip to unbuckle his jeans to prove to the blond that he meant business. Ben suddenly worked just as fast to pull at his trousers, receiving a chuckle from his husband when Ben pulled his knickers down as well to reveal a very aching member.

“Face the other way, soldier.” Joe requested lowly. His voice wasn’t angry but it was stern. There was a slight hesitancy, knowing that the men preferred positions that had them face the other. If they meant that they sounded vanilla or hella married then so be it. They were. But balcony sex with no furniture other than the fencing that separated their bodies from falling onto the ground, their best bet was from behind.

From the moment they set foot on the back balcony to the moment the sun finally set, Joe worked his magic. He opened his husband up, gritting his teeth, keeping his voice low. A moment stuck Ben so hard that he was ready to stay hard for another round.

Joe was about to cum into the condom when Ben whined about being close as well. Joe stopped, took hold of his husband’s cock and announced “I’ll use my goddamn hands if I have to.” before Ben shot his load all over the balcony wall.

The next four days in Italy were magic, for JJ and Clara as well as the happy couple. Joe’s mom did not care to notice that this trip was as much for their children to experience Europe for the first time as much as it was for Ben and Joe to have some much needed alone time. Not rushed affairs in the car or their bedroom at home between nap times. No. Hours were Virginia took the kids down to the water or to visit cousins and Ben and Joe could relax.

Sure, there were hours and even a whole day where the men spent time with the little ones. Ben encouraged Clara to join him on the beach while Joe lathered up JJ with sunscreen on the porch of the beach house, teaching him some Italian phrases for when his cousins would arrive hours later.

Ben and Joe switched children a day later, Joe showing Clara off to his extended family by the strawberry blond twirling and running and rattling off her bountiful stories with her extensive vocabulary while Ben strapped almost-two-year-old JJ to his back to jog around the village.

By the last night, Joe’s mom gushed how they were a hit with the family and that Joe’s father would be so proud of the parent and man Joe had become. The adults shared a glass of wine on the front balcony, JJ and Clara well into their hours of slumber. Virginia stayed a bit longer than most, just as sad as the boys for not having the chance to relax like this for a year or so.

Granted, Joe’s extended family demanded that they return every year to basket in the growth of their babies but Joe shot that opportunity down, knowing how hard it was with small kids to even get this time. They had the monetary means but finding the time and patience for their children was another story.

Finally, as the clock struck midnight, Virginia made her way to bed, leaving Joe and Ben the choice to stay up a bit longer or also go to their king-sized bed to catch some Zzz’s before parting in the early afternoon.

“I agree with your mom. I wish we could stay longer.”

“Babe. If we could, we would, but Clara has school to start and you used up your vacation days for the year for this trip.” Joe exclaimed as they walked to their room, wine glasses still in hand. They were not drunk but tipsy enough to stumble a bit on the way to the bed.

“Joseph...think you are up for spending one more tonight..having a bit of fun?” Ben stated with a cheeky smile, a hand coming to slide down Joe’s clothed torso.

“Ben, I'm not in the mood for topping.” He attempted, having spent every one of their sexual encounters topping. Joe had not topped that much since Ben learned Joe had a few more weeks before he could no longer top because he was pregnant with Clara. This time, his husband was simply turned on by his “Grizzliness” as Eugene. Sadly, this had to come to a close. He was a bottom bitch at heart and he just couldn't tonight.

“Fine. Then I'll take the lead for our last night. My arse needs a break anyways.” Ben’s smile was coy but full of passion as he began to climb the length of his husband.

“Good thing too that we don't have to use a condom. I'm all out, you filthy man.” Joe chuckled as he welcomed his husband’s hands slowly unbuttoning his shirt and pant-buckle.

“What can I say? We all have our little kinks. You being a tad grizzly is one of mine now.” Ben took his time back down Joe’s length, a stripe from Ben’s tongue landing from his collarbone to right above his groin.

“Alright, good sir, use that growing erection in me rather than all over the sheets this time,” Joe stated, though with a hitch to some of his words as Ben’s tongue worked down Joe's thigh.

“Get on with it,” Joe whined.

“Yes, Commander.” Ben wasted no time to view Joe's eye roll. He needed to embrace this new kink for one more night before real life set in. Oh, and so he did, forcing to make Joe whine and scream and beg just loud enough for the two to thank the lord that their room was far enough from their mother/kids' room.

Ben went slow and steady in the beginning, allowing for all the foreplay Ben didn't do the whole week because he was not on top. Penetration was faster, so much of Ben’s pent up energy from release in his hand instead of Joe has been a strain of him. When Ben finally did come, it felt like a river and he apologized for a million times, who was so in his high from good fucking that he didn't care to acknowledge.

In a few days, the little family was back in NYC, exhausted from the flight but not so ready to hit the hay. It was never good to adjust to the time difference again by immediately going to bed. Stay with the time zone. Best option.

“Joe. I'm going to fix the kids some lunch. Would you like a grilled cheese as well?”

Joe flipped open one of the suitcases on the couch, taking out some of JJ’s toddler supplies, “yes, please.”

Ben was grabbing some cheese when he noticed the blinking on their landline, “Love.. Will you check the house phone. There are two messages.”

Joe shrugged, coming over to give JJ his toy then clicking the ‘Listen to Messages’ option. “Probably telemarketing.” He grumbled, half-ass listening until he needed to listen.

_Hello Mr. Mazzello. This is Susanne from Mr. Lee’s office. You did not come to your three-month appointment. If you are still interested in receiving your birth control injections, please call us to reschedule a new appointment. Thank you and have a lovely day._

“Daddy!” JJ called out, holding his chubby little hands out for Joe. “Up!”

Joe looked at his youngest, the message echoing inside his head slowly, all the while his eyes widening as the realization hit him like a gunshot on the battlefield.

_“Oh shit.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoy this continuation! The next installment will arrive later this week and you'll get to meet the next member (or possibly members) of the Mazzello clan!


	14. Daisy Jane

**_Do you love me_ **

**_I hope you do_ **

**_Like the stars above me how I love you_ **

**_When it's cold at night_ **

**_Everything's all right_ **

 

**_3 months_ **

 

Joe took great pride in being punctual. How could he not? Being an actor and going to school for film making taught him to use his time wisely and always be aware of deadlines. It’s been this way since he was a child and through his adult life, he had rarely ever been late for anything.

 

And technically, that stood true even now. After all, male carriers weren’t women. They didn’t have menstrual cycles; there was no blood gushing from any part of his body for three to seven days once a month. Whatever eggs they carried in their system were released purely through the body’s reaction to sexual stimulation of the surrounding area.

 

And yet as he sat in Gwilym’s office waiting for the test results to come back, he felt more nervous than a teenager after prom night. His leg was bouncing and he was fidgeting, all the while Ben was leaning back beside him, looking more bothered than anything.

 

“I don’t know how you can be so calm about this,” Joe commented harshly, sending a glare towards his partner.

 

Ben merely shrugged, burrowing further down in the seat. “Not our first rodeo, Joe.” He

responded.

 

When they had first realized their blunder, Joe contacted Gwilym immediately. Unfortunately for them, there was no real morning-after pill for male carriers. The estrogen-based pill did not seem to be that effective for male carriers as if the pill was not able to target the area as well it did for women. Sure, there was a surgical washout that could be used in emergencies, but that was for people who had intercourse within the first twenty-four hours.

 

By the time they had shown up to the office, it had been a few days, leaving them with very little options. “How could you not text me when your secretary noticed I hadn’t gotten my injection?” Joe asked, pacing around Gwilym’s office.

 

Do I look like your bloody au pair? It’s not my job to look after you. Besides, how was I to know you weren’t interested in having another child?”

 

“I already have two!”

 

“Some people want more.” Gwilym reminded him outright. “Allen and I are hoping for four in the future.”

 

“You people are insane,” The redhead scoffed.

 

Joe’s suggestion had been simple, take another birth-control injection and hope for the best. It seemed like a logical response until their doctor informed them that if that was the route they went with and Joe did fall pregnant, it could result in either a miscarriage or a wide array of birth defects.

 

In the end, they were forced to play the waiting game. Joe was confident because really, who the fuck gets pregnant after one time?

 

With Clara, they had sex three times, estimate her conception either from the breaking of the condom the second time or no-condom the third time. And even though Ben most likely fell pregnant soon after they started trying, the two men still spent a weekend going at it. This time around, Ben only topped once during the entire vacation. Sure, he had a lot built up in his front because he took so much that week in his back but would bottoming so much and then suddenly topping again really cause your body to fuck your lover so good that they fall pregnant immediately after release?

 

Nevertheless, Joe tried not to get himself worked up. Tried not to put too much focus on it. A watched pot never boils, right? Joe continued to tell himself that if he dwelled on it than his worst nightmare would come true just to spite himself, so he tried to put it behind him. He stopped counting the days and stopped looking at everything around him as a possible sign of pregnancy. He told himself to relax and for a short while, he did. And he almost forgot all of this even happened until one faithful night, two months after returning home from Italy they got their first sign.

 

The kids were asleep and Ben had arrived home late from a shoot. Joe was editing a script that Rami had submitted, going over some line changes and scenery corrections. Ben brought food for them both and the smell hit Joe like a ton of bricks. 

 

Rather than it just making him queasy, the redhead paused mid-sentence to projectively vomit across the kitchen. They played it off as a stomach bug because really, who got morning sickness at eleven o’clock at night? But then more things started happening.

The headaches, the congestion, the tenderness to his body. Joe tried to convince Ben (as well as himself) that it was just the flu or a cold or any sickness that wouldn’t be under the ‘cancer’ label. The blond didn’t settle, after all, by this point, they had both gone through pregnancy and knew the symptoms well enough.

 

After three weeks of putting it off, Ben finally dragged his husband to Gwilym’s office to have the rest taken care of. Looking like a disapproving father, Gwilym took the blood samples and left the two alone to find out what exactly was going on.

 

“I don’t know why you’re stressing so much,” Ben commented, looking around the room lazily. “Three is a lot harder than two, Ben.”

 

“Not by much,”

 

Joe turned in his chair, sitting up ever so slightly. “Look, you were a lot older than your sister when she saw born and yeah, you took care of her, but it was still just her. My parents had me, my brother, and my sister all very close in age. And yes, they did a fantastic job raising us, but they were also in hell a good portion of the time.”

 

“And that is what you think we’ll be in? Hell with our three children?” Ben fired back. “If you’re so against it, then have Gwilym take care of it.”

 

Joe leaned back, his expression dropping for a second. He felt as if he had been orally slapped his heart dropping to his stomach as he repeated his husband's words in his head. “Listen. This is in no way the best time to be having a third kid, but that doesn’t mean I want to go down that route.” Joe replied to him, using the same tone he does any time Clara, JJ, or anybody onset isn’t doing what he wants them to do.

 

“Going to great lengths to not get pregnant isn’t a bad thing, Ben. And being upset about a small mishap isn’t bad either. I’m not blaming you. This is a two-way street, buddy. Just because I’m not jumping for joy that doesn’t mean I want Gwilym to take care of it.”

 

“Certainly seems that way,” Ben responded, shrugging slightly.

 

“Well, I don’t want that.” Joe snapped. “I don’t want to be pregnant but if I am, then I am. There’s no reason for me not to be.”

 

“Joseph, that makes no sense.” The blond fired back.

 

“We can afford to have another child, okay. We’re not in a place where we can’t take care of another child and neither of us would be against having another one. It’s just that pregnancy, for me, is kind of terrible. So I am going to be annoyed, I am going to bitch and moan, but it’s still my kid and I am always going to want my kids. So please excuse my attitude, but since I am the one going through it, I think I’ve earned the right to complain.”

 

Ben just lifted his hands in defeat, having no retort or any real reason to argue any longer. Gwilym entered shortly after, the results packed in his hand. He sat back in his chair, shrugging to the two men. “Should I offer congrats or condolences?”

 

“Just tell us, Gwil,” Ben muttered, sounding more tired than he had before. Grabbing a sharply from his pen holder, Gwilym scribbled the result on the back of the paper, holding it up high like a sign at a rock concert.

 

**_P R E G N A N T_ **

 

Joe groaned, leaning back in his seat in defeat. “Great. This is just wonderful.” He muttered, kicking at the air.

 

“I know the timing isn’t wonderful.”

 

“Yeah, no shit Sherlock. I finally have abs!” Joe hissed out like an annoying child. “Do you have any idea how long it took me? How many trips to the gym I had to make?

 

“Regardless, if you plan on going through with the pregnancy, we have to go through the same procedure. This is never something to dwell on, gentleman. You should both be aware of that by now.”

 

“We’re going through with it,” Joe muttered, rolling his eyes just as Ben and Gwilym shared a glance across the room.

 

“Right then. I’ll look through the results and your file and we’ll set up another appointment to go over a due-date.”

 

Rather than being professional and shaking the good doctor’s hand, Joe let out a groan as he pushed himself up and off the chair, shouting a word of thanks to Gwilym over his shoulder as he left the room.

 

The drive home was filled with silence and Joe’s occasion comment about this or that. He was being a bit of a brat about it, so much so that when they pulled up to their complex, Ben didn’t unlock the doors right away.

 

Ben, who had always been the one to stay on the bright side, has those green eyes narrowed and his fingers flexing on the steering wheel. “I can’t listen to you complain for the next six months.” He told Joe honestly. “Joking around is one thing, but acting as if this is a prison sentence if too much to bear, Joseph.”

 

“Right,” Joe muttered, sitting back slightly. “I didn’t . . . I was serious about what I said. I may not like the pregnancy but I love our kids. This one included.”

 

“I know you do. And I’m sorry you have to go through so much shit for us to have it.”

 

“Not your fault.” He responded, pausing suddenly. “Well, it sort of is. Team effort.”

 

“Just promise me that when we get out of this car that you’ll be happier.”

 

“Can’t say I’ll be happier, but we’ll see the kids, so that will be good,” Joe answered, his eyes widening with the sudden realization. “Oh, Christ. How are we supposed to tell the kids?”

 

That had not been something either man had planned. With Clara, it was easy. She was a little older, just turned three. She was beginning to set into that little girl stage of wanting a baby doll and a friend, something that was rolled into one when it came to having a baby brother.

 

This time around she was even older, being just shy of age five and still riding hard on the baby craze. JJ on the other hand just turned two and was already beginning to fall into that stage of ‘terrible twos’ where the attitude came shining out.

 

He wasn’t a bad child, not in the least, but he was, in fact, a child. A toddler who could walk on his own and loved to move and spoke whenever he wanted to even if it wasn’t always easy to understand what the heck he was saying. He was doted upon by everyone who interacted with him and now they’d have to tell him there would be someone else to share the attention with.

 

They decided not to wait because honestly, both men mostly wanted to get it over with. 

They sat the two down on the couch, with Frankie huddled in the middle and explained that, like aunt Lucy and uncle Rami, they’d be having three babies. When that brought a bit of confusion over, Ben explained that a baby was growing inside of daddy’s belly. Clara raised her hand promptly. “Is this like when you had a baby in your belly and that baby was JJ?” She asked curiously, her accent making the words sound even more adorable.

 

“Exactly, love. This baby is going to be just like JJ except it’s in daddy’s belly like you were.”

 

“How can there . . . be baby . . . when I’m baby?” JJ asked carefully, speaking slowly to get his words out. Unlike his sister, his own words sounded strictly American, just like Joe’s.

 

“Well, lad. You’re not a baby anymore, remember? You’re a big boy now?”

 

“But he is still a baby, Papa! He’s a big baby.”

 

“No. JJ is a big boy. This one is going to be the baby.” Joe corrected, placing his hand over his still flat stomach.

 

Clara raised her hand once more. “Does this mean JJ is going to be a big brother?”

 

“Yup. And again, you’ll be a big sister.”

 

Clara squealed, flopping back on the couch. “I hope it’s a girl! I like girls!”

 

“Perhaps it will be a boy.” Ben piped in. “Then you’ll be the queen of the house.”

 

“No boy!” JJ whined, his face scrunching up with pure annoyance. “I’m boy!”

 

“Daddy, Frankie is a girl too, so if we had a boy then you’d have two girls and two boys,” Clara told him proudly.

 

“Frankie isn’t our child, Clarie.”

 

Clara gasp, sitting up straight. “Yes, she is! Oh, yes she is. Papa says so! Papa, tell daddy that Frankie is your child.”

 

“Frankie big sister!” JJ called out. Like clockwork, Frankie began howling that oh so wonderful beagle howl.

 

“No baby brother! Just sister!” JJ decided, only to throw himself off the couch and onto the floor when Clara tried to argue that baby boys were just as fun.

 

Joe looked over the two children arguing and the overweight dog howling, sending a silent reminder to his husband that they’d never be going to Italy again; duo-citizenship be damned.

 

**_Month 4_ **

 

After having two children, Ben nor Joe cared about having a gender reveal - or any pregnancy party. Call them party poopers but they’d rather have a few close friends and family members over to share the good news without the work that goes into a party - the traditions, the favors, the games. This was Joe’s second pregnancy and their third child. Another party to alert his friends how sexually active Joe and Ben were was unnecessary.

 

Yet, they did have two little ones. Little ones that love to have a good time. “Chilling” wasn’t in their vocabulary. Instead, jumping and screaming and laughing was all they ever knew. 

 

It was in the middle of the gender reveal sonogram during the Month 4 check-up that Ben had the idea of how to tell the kids whether they’d have a baby sister or brother. First, of course, Gwilym had to work his magic.

 

“You know, I wanted to put money on your third but Allen wouldn’t let me after last time. But I do have an idea in my mind and I can’t wait to see if I am correct.” Gwilym said playfully, the probe and gel swishing around Joe’s stomach, on the hunt for parts. 

 

“We have a boy and a girl. We don’t care if we get one or the other at this point, Gwil.” Ben responded, squinting his eyes to try to make his judgment about the sex. He wasn’t a doctor, though, so it fell on deaf ears.

 

“Wow . . . very strong heartbeat.”

 

Joe’s brows furrowed, “Is everything OK?”

 

Gwilym waved a hand in assurance, “Oh yes. A strong heartbeat means a very strong and healthy baby. Probably another 10-pounder like JJ.”

 

“Oh great.” Joe groaned, even though he loved how chunky his babies were. The children were not at this appointment because Grandma was over for the weekend and they figured they would do something with friends and Joe’s mother with the doctor appointment falling on that Friday.

 

“You two ready for the sex?” Ben and Joe nodded in unison. “Congratulations. Looks like Clara is not going to be the only girl in the family.” 

 

“So it’s another girl?” Ben clarified.

 

“Yes. A beautiful, growing baby girl.”

 

Ben leaned down and automatically kissed Joe’s lips without asking. The ginger didn’t mind. “You happy?”

 

Joe hummed, “Very.”

 

Gwilym was right in the middle of cleaning Joe off when he spoke once more, “You know Allen informed me that you want to have a little get together tonight since your mom is over for the weekend. Are you going to do anything special to tell Clara and JJ?”

 

Joe shrugged, “My only thought was to show them the ultrasound photo and say, ‘It’s a girl.’”

 

Ben was busy with his phone for a moment, receiving a text from Allen. “Ben? Everything alright?” Gwilym questioned lightly.

 

Ben lifted his head, “Oh. Yeah. Allen just texted me some gender reveal ideas for kids. There’s this supply list for a Gender reveal scavenger hunt.” 

 

“I’m game, as long as this scavenger hunt isn’t too much for us or the kids.” Joe pulled his shirt down, groaning when the shirt that fit him at month 4 with Clara wasn’t fitting him the same way. 

 

“No, no. If we go to the Dollar Store now, the supplies will be bought and all we need is to write some simple directions on Post-Its.” 

 

Gwilym piped in, turning off his monitor and taking off his gloves, “Mind if I ask Allen to get a vanilla cake with pink frosting if I can find it?”

 

Joe chuckled, “Do what you want, Gwil. You know how much my children love cake but the party will be tonight. Can you get a cake with pink icing by then?”

 

“I have my ways.” Gwilym scoffed with a quick wink.

 

A few hours went by before their close-knit group had taken over the living room and kitchen. Gwilym and Lucy were in charge of food and cake in the kitchen. Allen and Ben set up and directed all the children (including Rami’s triplets) on how to go about the scavenger hunt. 

 

Joe had the wondrous excuse of being pregnant and not having to do anything other than cook their third baby. Sadly, after fifteen minutes of Joe sitting on his ass, his two children and Rami’s three screaming around the room, Ben gave his husband the job of taking photographs with Allen’s semi-professional camera. 

 

Joe was also in charge of giving the children hints about if the baby in his belly was a boy or girl. This was his favorite part since he got to screw with everyone, sometimes swerving them in a completely different direction until Ben had to reprimand him for doing so, not their kids.

 

Finally, the last hint requested the kids to guess if there was a girl or boy in daddy Joe’s body. Clara split herself between two groups, being five with four two-year-olds running the hunt. JJ and Jude ran one team, Eleanor and Lennon on the other. Eleanor and Lennon guessed girl, with JJ and Jude (surprise), guessing boy.

 

Joe agreed to help cut the cake to reveal. “OK, everyone. Hands up high if you think the icing is pink. What about boy?”

 

Joe’s mom, Eleanor, Lennon, Gwilym, and Allen raised for girl. JJ, Jude, Rami, and Lucy raised for boy. Most of Ben’s model friends guessed boy while Joe’s brother and sister swore it was a girl.

 

The moment of truth was revealed by Joe through the cake and Allen LIVE-streaming. _GIRL._ Screams by babies and adults rattled the apartment. 

 

“No other boy?!” JJ questioned, running over to tug on Joe’s pant leg. Joe lifted the little one to explain properly.

 

“Yes, no other boy. You will be my one and only baby boy.”

 

“Still big brother?”

 

Joe nodded, “Yes, sir.”

 

JJ squealed in excitement, hugging his daddy’s neck before the ginger let him go to announce the clarification to his best friend, Jude.

 

Ben, who had just finished handing out slices of cake, finally came to his husband’s side, “So, what do you think? Did Allen and I did a good job at a low-key Gender reveal?”

 

Joe takes hold of Ben’s polo collar, pulling him for a quick kiss, “Such a good job. Thank you.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

“Last time.” Joe clarified before the two laughed heartily at the remark. Three is perfect. Three is enough.

 

**_Month 5_ ** **  
**

 

“She doesn’t have to go to school right? By law, we can keep her home with us until she turns 18, yeah?” Joe whined as the alarm went off and Ben and Joe were getting up and ready to send Clara for her first day of kindergarten. 

 

Joe was taking forever to change, not because he was having a difficult time with clothes (he was beginning to wear clothes that fit a month ahead of what he actually was after someone told him that bellies would be bigger the second time around), but because he was procrastinating to wake up their baby girl.

 

“No. She has to go to school.” Ben said, coming from the bathroom, half-naked and a toothbrush tipping from his mouth, “You were fine with her going to UPK. What’s the difference?”

 

“This is all day. What are they making fun of her? What if she doesn’t have enough to eat?”

 

Ben spit the paste out of his mouth before coming to his husband’s side, his hands on the ginger’s shoulders, “She’s a tough little lady. She’s a Mazello-Hardy. No one will mess with her. And as far as food is concerned, you packed her enough snacks last night to last her a month.”

 

“I just want to make sure she’s well-bed.” Joe murmured, his head pressing gently on Ben’s naked peck. 

 

“I understand. But if we want to give her a good first day, you can’t be like this or else she will be too.”

 

Joe raised his head, “All right….”

 

“Now go get up the Mazzello clan. We have Kindergarten to conquer.” Ben gave Joe a playful swat on the ass, Joe yelping in response but loving it nonetheless.

 

An hour passed and soon they were in front of the school that would be Clara’s home away from home. Frankly, Joe and Ben weren’t sure if they would be staying in NY forever. Who knows if this would be Clara’s school for years to come or just for this year. But the men made sure that this school was one of the best and would take the best care for their baby girl. 

 

“All right, honey. Do you need anything else? Papa and I packed you plenty of snacks for snack time. You can share them with your friends but only when your belly is full, OK? Those are your snacks.”

 

“Thank you, Daddy.”

 

“JJ, say bye-bye to Clara.” Ben raised JJ’s arm to prompt him.

 

“Bye-bye.” He chimed in, still a bit drowsy from waking up Monday morning. 

 

“Daddy and I will pick you up at 2, OK? And then maybe we will celebrate with ice cream or something if you have a perfect first day, alright, love?”

 

“All right, Papa.” The little girl ran to her Papa, hugging his leg but Ben couldn’t accept just a leg hung. He bent down with JJ still on his hip and he gave the strawberry blond beauty a hug and two big, fat cheek kisses.

 

“Hey. Where are all my kisses?” Joe whined, Clara not wasting any time to go into her Daddy’s arms and holding onto him tight, “Bye dada.” When Joe stood up, she hugged him again, this time by the stomach, “Bye-bye baby sister.”

 

“She says bye-bye.” This remark from Joe made Clara smile wide. Joe was about to remark about something else she might need, like protecting herself from bullies or that she could call them if she missed them too much and wanted to go home. But before Joe could mention any of those mini-speeches, she was gone with a quick wave and a smack of the kindergarten door.

 

“Daddy, you sad?”

 

Joe quickly wiped his face, “I just miss my baby girl, already.”

 

Ben quickly wrapped an arm around Joe’s shoulder, “It’ll be alright. She will be alright.” The taller blond gently kissed a stray tear away, “Hey...why don’t we go out for bunch? Just the boys, yeah?”

 

Joe, who was still trying to catch his tears, nodded nonetheless. The next week or so were going to be hard for the fathers but it was only natural. Time could not be stopped and before long, their miracle. Their drunken one-night stand. The little one that forced two lonely souls together to come together and raise a little being was now in a Kindergarten. Time does fly and Joe just wished that he could, somehow, have his baby girl, stay his baby girl for a little while longer.

 

“OK. Let’s go, boys! It’s brunch time.”

 

**_Month 6_ **

 

“Well, they’re finally asleep,” Ben commented, making his way in from the children bedroom. Now that JJ was officially out of his crib, they found it a lot harder to get the two to sleep. They would be busy playing or one would be in the other bed. It came from them sharing a room; a rambunctious pair that always wanted to play and wanted nothing more than to stay up and go on adventures.

 

“Who was keeping who awake this time?”

 

“JJ was bouncing on Clara’s big girl bed,” Ben replied, sighing quietly as he sat down on the couch.

 

Joe had previously said he was the same when he shared a room with his brother until his parents finally wised up and moved into a house with enough bedrooms for them all. Ben and Joe had spoken about doing the same; moving into a bigger place but it never seemed like the right time. They were constantly doing something. Both trying to balance their careers and family to some equal level and it worked.

 

Two men handling two children was tough at times, but they made it work. Now there would be a third involved and both were well aware that things were going to get a bit more difficult.

 

“We can’t shove another kid in that room, Ben. And the baby will only be in our room for a few months.”

 

With a sigh, Ben stretched out on the couch, turning his head to look Joe's way. “I guess we should start apartment hunting,”

 

“I think we may need something more than an apartment,” Joe admitted.

 

“I don’t think we can find a house in New York City, Joe.” The blond teased, though Joe didn’t smile or look like he cared for that joke.

 

“Maybe it’s time we leave the city then.” The redhead mentioned. “The kids are getting bigger . . . they should have more than just a decently sized loft. They should have a yard with a swing. Grass for Frankie to dig up.”

 

“Where would we go?” Ben questioned. “We could head back to your hometown. Be closer to your mom?”

 

“That’s further away. If we’re going to move, then we should go to where our work takes us.”

 

“Vancouver?”

 

“I was thinking of LA.”

 

“California?” Ben spoke, his brow raising at the question. “I thought you hated Cali?”

 

“I don’t hate it,” Joe grumbled. “I just hated what it represented. Everybody expected so much from me, wanting me to be the next big thing and that just wasn’t what I wanted.”

 

“And you think that’s changed?”

 

“I think I changed. I think I finally found my voice and found what I wanted to do and I think moving there would be best for everyone. Rami and Lucy are already there. We’re both traveling there for work. If we moved, we’d only have to travel by rather than that plane.”

 

“You’re serious about this,”

 

“We have three more months until this kid comes.”

 

“Do you want to move before?”

 

Joe shook his head swiftly. “Traveling with a newborn sucks, but Gwilym is now considering moving here. But I don’t know . . . Clara and JJ were born here. I want her to be born here too.”

 

“We still have to pick a name for her, you know.” Ben pointed out. “Can’t move to California with an unnamed baby.”

 

“You get our list of names. I’ll get my computer and we’ll look up available houses in LA as we try to narrow it down.”

 

“Solid teamwork.” Ben agreed, rolling up off the couch to get the things they needed.

 

**_Month 7_ **

 

It wasn’t constant. The kicking, that is. For Ben, the kicking of JJ was practically non-stop. This time around, it was the strength that threw Joe for a loop.

 

“Ah. Baby girl. You gotta calm down. I’m in the middle of a scene.” Je explained softly to his stomach. Rami, of course, knew about the sheer strength that Joe’s second girl was causing. He didn’t, however, understand how it would be so powerful that he would no longer be able to concentrate.

 

“You OK, man?” Rami, who was across the set, adjusting some lights, was suddenly at his side, a hand to Joe’s back.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Daisy is just working a number on my sides this afternoon. Nothing new.” 

 

Daisy. Between Month five and six, Joe and Ben went back and forth on names. It was a no brainer for Joe that Clara would be named partly after Ben’s late sister. For Ben, if they had a baby boy, of course it was going to carry Joe’s family namesake. But now there was another baby in the midst and they were at a loss. Ben had no other siblings nor would he ever want a baby to carry his mother’s namesake.

 

The pair decided to check a list of “Top names” for that year and then cross out the names that they didn’t like. The men added some joke names in there, such as Deacon and Taylor, from the bassist and drummer of their mutual favorite band, but the top two names that stuck were Charlotte and Daisy. Charlotte, because it was on the top list and sounded somehow British and American, and Daisy, from the song, “Daisy Jane.”

 

Ben had heard it on the radio one afternoon, humming it all the way home and even while helping with setting their children for dinner. Somehow, he still remembered the lyrics and when the baby was using Joe as a punching bag after dinner, Ben adjusted himself on the couch and began to sing. As if by the magic of Ben’s voice, the baby settled and the two shared a look that only meant one thing: Daisy was going on the name list.

 

It was their friends and family that liked how Daisy fit best. Ben and Joe agreed and by month 7, their baby girl had a name for the certificate already.

 

“How far along are you? Seven months, right?”

 

Joe nodded, letting out short breaths through the persistent kicking that seemed to become from all sides. 

 

“I know you are going to yell at me but...you have two kids at home and this little is working a number on you. This is the third time this week that you haven’t been able to concentrate. Perhaps you should retire early from this project . . . only physically.” Rami had his hands up in surrender, waiting for Joe’s violent reaction.

 

“What the fuck am I supposed to do at home, Rami? We are still filming. I can’t film at home. And you are one to talk. You have three little ones at home.”

 

“I’m not the one who is pregnant.”

 

Joe groaned, “Listen. I know I am going a bitch baby about this. My back hurts all the damn time but I don’t know what I will do if I am not here.”

 

Rami wiggled a finger in front of his best friend, “Plenty. One, you will help Lucy and me by watching my kids when Lucy has a shoot. Two, you will edit what you already have. Three, you will make any rewrites on the script after receiving feedback. And four, you will work on a new screenplay that will make us millions, darling.”

 

Joe, who had a ball making fun of his fellow director and best friend, knew that Rami did have some good ideas here and there and was a considerate bestie as well. “Fine, boss.”

 

“Excellent! Now, can you finish today’s scenes? Is that possible?”

 

Joe was rubbing the spot where Daisy was kicking as Rami listed the ultimatum, and by the time he was done, Daisy settled, “Let’s do this.”

 

“Let’s goooooo.” Rami cheered, spinning on his heels to go back to adjusting the lights when he ignored a wire from a camera and took a tumble. “I’m good. I’m good.”

 

Yeah, he was good. Clumsy as hell. But good. Good father. Good director. And a very good friend.

 

**_Month 8_ **

 

Month eight came quickly though seemed to last forever. Not due to the number of days that passed but rather due to the continuous complaining that came from Joe.

 

Every move he made was a bother. Every piece of clothing just didn’t suit him well enough. Ben started off being amused by Joe’s endless amount of annoyance but soon found himself growing rather tired of the never-ending spiel of bitching.

 

It was terrible but eventually Ben could only put up with so much before finally reminded Joe that he also went through the changes. Perhaps not as troublesome as Joe’s but then again who would tell what was happening.

 

Was it as horrible as it sounded or was Joe just a dramatic bitch? It was hard to tell sometimes, to be honest.

 

“Remember when I had abs?” Joe spoke gently in their bedroom one night. Ben was busying himself with reading all the while Joe was laying, starfish position, on their bed in a pool of his self-pity. “Seems so long ago.” 

 

“You’ll get them back,” Bean advises though joe didn’t look convinced. 

 

“No. Not this time.”

 

Ben turned his head, tilting his reading glasses down as he gazed at his husband. “I think you’re underestimating yourself, Joseph.” 

 

“I think you’re overestimating me!” Joe snapped. “Okay, my body doesn’t snap back like yours. I’m not a model. I’m not magic!” 

 

Ben groaned, pushing himself up off the bed. Joe lifted his head, whining softly. “Wait, where are you going?” 

 

“To check on our children,” Ben answered. He paused in the doorway, watching the love of his life with softened eyes. “I love you and I love what you’re doing for our children. But I am starting to see where JJ gets his brattiness from.” 

 

“What? Ben, come on. Benny. _Benjamin_!” 

 

**_Month 9_ **

 

“Ben…Benny. Benjamin.” Joe felt like he was having Dejavu. Five years ago, he was shaking his then-fiancé aware because their first baby girl was a week early. Now, Joe knew that he was in labor again. The back cramps he was having the past few hours were only getting worse and he couldn’t fight it any longer. 

 

“Hmmm?” The blond was still as cute as a button when he slept. His hair was slightly thinner but it was still sprawled like crazy when he awoke from a deep sleep. “Back still hurting like crazy, love?”

 

“Yeah, it’s only gotten worse. I think this is the real thing.”

 

Ben rose from the covers, slapping his cheeks to wake. Even though Joe said it was the real thing, he wasn’t as crazed as their first time around. Besides, this was even earlier, “But this is even earlier than Clara…”

 

“Yes. yes. I’m aware. Awe, fuckinshitcock.” Joe cursed, gripping his stomach hard.

 

“Fuckfuckfuck. I’m calling Gwilym and getting Allen over here.”

 

So within the half-hour, Allen was over. Clara had heard Joe’s grunts and groans and came into the bedroom. Her brows furrowed and she asked if Daddy was OK. Ben explained that Daisy was coming sooner than they thought and that Uncle Allen would be over soon.

 

“Will I see Daisy today?”

 

Ben ran his hand through her hair, rustling it as Allen walked into the door, “You’ll be the first.”

 

Just then, a squeal ran through the room and Allen scooped her up in his arms. “Owie. Daisy is coming today!”

 

“I know, little love. Are you excited?”

 

“Yeah!” She hugged her Owie, Ben thankful for his best friend. He lifted Joe back to a standing position.

 

“Do you need another arm, Joseph?” Allen asked tentatively.

 

“No, no. Just watch my babies, alright?”

 

“You got it, boss. Wave good-bye to Daddy and Papa, Clar-bear.”

 

“Bye Daddy! Bye Papa! Bye Daisy” Clara waved both hands, turning to Allen as the door closed to boop his nose, “I’m going to be the best big sister ever.”

 

“The very best…now let’s not tell Daddy and Papa and eat a late-night snack before going back to bed, yeah?”

 

//

 

Joe awoke with the same, funky feeling all those years ago. Groggy but conscious. Done but yet empty. His gently slid his hands around his stomach. Flatter, no doubt but not the balloon that accumulated far earlier than with Clara. 

 

Joe remembered Ben saying something about his mother not coming in until the late afternoon, so the only persons Joe was expecting was Gwilym, an on-call nurse, his husband or Daisy.

 

Ben did show up, but no baby. He was not all smiles either. Quiet stunned in fact. Joe immediately adjusted himself to stand straight up, even though he was left wincing. Was something wrong with his baby girl?

 

“Ben...where’s Daisy? Is she okay? Ten fingers? Ten toes? Breathing alright?”

 

Ben gave his husband a gentle smile, followed by a reassuring nod, “Yes. She’s perfect, but early. She’s in the NICU if you want to see her.”

 

“I’m ready when you are.”

 

This was their third child, so Ben and Joe were now pros at protocols for caring for babies and mothers/fathers after surgery. A nurse came in to check on Joe’s vitals and IV before she gave him the go-to visit Daisy. She also provided a wheelchair, even though Joe’s protest, “You don’t want your scars to open up. Just for today, Joseph.” 

 

Joe groaned, got in, allowing the blond to veer corners until they met their final destination. 

 

Ben placed the ginger in between two incubators that were close together, in Joe’s opinion. Yet the ginger ignored this to take a good look at his new bundle. His second baby girl - Miss Daisy Mazzello.

 

“God, look at her,” Joe whispered as he stood. He lifted his hand, pressing it gently against the glass. He tapped his fingertips gently, his smile growing when the small infant shifted slightly in her little cube. “God, look at all that hair. Figured I’d pass on the red at some point.” 

 

“Interesting, yes,” Ben muttered quietly. 

 

“Maybe it will darken like mine? There’s still a chance for you, little one.” 

 

Ben jutted his chin out, gesturing to the second infant in the room. “Redheads are quite popular.” 

 

Joe broke his gaze from his daughter, humming when he caught sight of the other baby. Another redhead, who was sucking on his thumb despite being so young. He thought of how his mother used to say that Joe was a thumb sucker right out of the womb, something he’d openly admit to. 

 

“Huh. Another little redhead. That’s pretty rare.” Joe mused, looking back to his daughter. “Hi, Daisy. I’m your daddy. I was your first incubator. Now you’re in that little box. Do you miss me?” 

 

“Check out the name on the cubby,” Ben instructed. 

 

“Daisy Mazzello. We’ll have to choose a middle name for her.” 

 

“Not her,” Ben replied. He lifted his hand, pointing out. “His.” 

 

Joe cocking his head, squinting his eyes to see the hospital written name tag on the incubator. “Baby Boy Mazzello.” He read aloud. “Huh. That’s odd. My last name isn’t very common.” He confessed, chuckling then. “Two Mazzello’s in the same hospital. How funny is that?” He asked, though his husband wasn’t laughing. 

 

Soon enough, Joe’s daughter died down as Ben just stared him down, waiting for the realization to hit him. “There’s no mystery cousin, is there?” Ben shook his head slowly.

 

Joe looked back and forth between the two infants. Same auburn hair. Same button nose. The closeness of the cubbies and the time of births being an exact minute apart. It didn’t take long for Joe to put all the pieces together. 

 

“No!” Joe jumped back, his hazel eyes ablaze as he looked at his husband. 

 

“Yup.” 

 

“Twins!?” 

 

“Twins,” Ben repeated. “Fraternal though they do look very similar.” 

 

“Twins don’t run in my family. They don’t run in yours! Where the hell did they come from?” 

 

“It can be rather common with mail carriers,” Ben explained. 

 

He proceeded to tell Joe about the shock to not only himself but also Gwilym during the c-section. It was a rather normal proceeder despite being a tad bit early. Daisy was removed easily enough. The tiny cry filled Ben with a sweet amount of joy, though that was immediacy put on hold when Gwilym expression confusion as well as surprise. It seemed there had been another fetus hiding behind the other and their heartbeats had always been in sync of one another. 

 

“Low and behind, we are in the presences of the greatest hide and seek champion.” Ben joked. 

 

Joe laughed, though it was strained. Overall, it did make sense. Gwilym did mention that the baby had a strong heartbeat. And he was larger than he originally thought. And the kicking, oh that fucking kicking. No way one child could kick him that strongly. 

 

“This is . . . God, we have twins. Four! Fuck, we have four kids, Ben.” 

 

“We do. Will certainly be interesting.” 

 

One of Gwilym’s nurses popped her head in then, smiling at the sight of both men. Joe had remembered her from when JJ had been born and it brought a nice amount of comfort to know that a trusted member of the medical field was around when it came taking care of his newest infant. Or in this face, infants. “Someone’s finally awake. They’ve been waiting for you, Joseph.” 

 

“Oh, I’m sure they’ve missed me. Though, can’t imagine I’m more comfortable than the incubator.” Joe muttered, unable to take his eyes off the two.

 

“They were just about to eat. Would you like to assist?”

 

Without an answer, Ben pulled Joe into the room and pushed him down onto the chair, going to sit in the one beside him. The nurse moved around, focusing on one baby at a time as they got the formula ready. “All right, who wants who?” 

 

“Give him the boy,” Ben spoke up. 

 

Before Joe could even say a word, the mystery baby was placed into his arms. He had previously been a father of two, so holding an infant wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. The babies were early, but they weren’t that small. Joe kept his head up and took the bottle from the nurse, smiling as the infant automatically began it down. 

 

“What the hell are we gonna call you?” He spoke quietly to the infant. “All we have are girl names.” 

 

“Did we choose any unisex ones?” Ben asked, feeding Daisy beside him. 

 

“Maybe? I think we had Morgan. But Morgan Mazzello just sounds like a punishment. We could go back to Soren?” 

 

“Didn’t we have Taylor? For the drummer you fancy.” 

 

“Taylor Mazzello?” Joe repeated. At that moment, the small boy in his arms pulled away from the feeding bottle and sneezed, making the cutest face Joe had ever seen. “I think he likes it.” 

 

“Daisy and Taylor. Rather sweet. Any ideas for middle names?” 

 

“Does anything go with Taylor?” 

 

“We could continue to name him after that drummer.” 

 

Joe snorted, shaking his head. “I’m not giving our son the middle name _Roger._ ” 

 

“Isn’t his middle name Meddows?” 

 

“You continue to call him “The Drummer” but you know his full name?” 

 

“What? The members of Queen are British national treasures.” Ben defended. “Daisy Meadows sounds pretty.” 

 

“It sounds like a hippy name.” 

 

“She’ll be our flower child.” Ben beamed, kissing the infants head softly. 

 

“One down. One to go. What goes with Taylor?” 

 

They rattled off a few names, though nothing seemed to fit. The babies finished eating and the nurse took them away to be changed, leaving both men alone together as they tried to finish their son’s name. “What about Hardy?” Joe offered after a long while. “Clara is already using it as her stage name. We could make it real for one of our kids.” 

 

“Taylor Hardy?” Ben mimicked. “Not terrible. “Daisy Meadows Mazzello and Taylor Hardy Mazzello.” 

 

“He’s our final child. Quite fitting. Hardy Mazzello. Both of us together.” 

 

“Aren’t you a romantic.” Ben gushed, passing when he heard a familiar squeal. 

 

Both men turned to see Clara running towards them; JJ was close behind, his chubby little legs doing their best to stay in stride. Allen was behind them both, following close as the children hugged their parents tightly. 

 

“Where is Daisy? I wanna see her! Is she cute? Does she have green eyes like me?” Clara babbled on eagerly. 

 

“I wanna see!” JJ jumped, tugging on Joe’s hand. “Show us!” 

 

“Sorry, mates. They’ve been like this all day.” 

 

“It’s all right, Allen.” Ben lifted Clara into his arms, kissing her cheek. “We’re gonna go back to daddy’s room and you can see Daisy, okay?” 

 

“You’ll have lots to see,” Joe mentioned, pulling JJ onto his lap. “Come on. Let’s race Papa there,” He whispers, wheeling himself back to the room. 

 

They all settled in and waited for the nurse to bring in the newest member. Ben had Allen record their reaction when it was revealed there were two infants rather than just the one. Clara was beyond pleased, as she was already looking forward to having another younger sibling. Adding one was just more fun. 

 

JJ, on the other hand, was left very baffled. 

 

“So . . . two babies?” He asked, lifting his middle and pointer finger. 

 

“Two.”

 

“And thats more than one.” 

 

“You got it, buddy.” 

 

“And that one is a boy?” He asked, pointing to Taylor. “Like me?” 

 

“Just like you, buddy,” Joe said, kissing his head’s head. JJ gave in easily, cuddling close to his father and baby brother while Clara did the same on the other side of him and Daisy. 

 

The next three weeks were as hectic as hell, with the move and living with four children all under the age of five. Luckily for them, their home in LA was all ready by the time they returned. Allen and Gwilym had gotten everything for Taylor as they only had female clothing and such and while neither of them cared for all that gender normality bullshit, it was nice to have someone else do the shopping for them. 

 

Moving in had been a pain, despite having Rami and Lucy around to help. By the end of the first day, both men were tired and hungry and ordered pizza. Joe wanted to complain because New York pizza could never be beat but he just didn’t have the energy. 

 

“Daddy,” Clara said softly as they sat on the floor. “Taylor is sad. Daisy won’t share her flower.” 

 

Joe lifted his head, watching as Daisy sat completely still in Ben’s arms, her tiny little arms wrapped around the flower doll Lucy had gifted her with. All the while Taylor, who was laying against Joe’s chest, had nothing. 

 

“He needs his toy!” Clara insisted. 

 

“No toy?” JJ mimicked, looking distraught at this. He pushed off the floor and ran off to his room. 

 

“We’ll go shopping for them this weekend, princess,” Joe promised, raising a brow when his oldest son returned. 

 

He held a toy in his hand, a stuff Stegosaurs that was too adorable for words. He moved in, crawling onto the couch where Joe was laying. He placed the stuffed Dino on top of his brother. “Lego the Stego befriend.” JJ insisted. 

 

Taylor, despite being only being a month old, mustered enough energy to release a small squeal. The sound alone was precious, but seeing him lock eyes with the stuffed animal that was bound to be a staple in his life was a gorgeous sight. 

 

“Good job, buddy.” Joe murmured, pulling JJ into him as they laid together. 

 

He looked over to Ben, who in turn was resting on the armchair with both their girls. They exchanged comfortable smiles. Their lives weren’t exactly easy and barely anything they have been through has been planned, but they were happy. 

 

Very, very happy. 


	15. Take Me Out To The Ballgame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this wonderful in-between chapter until all hell breaks loose for our boys.

“All right troops! Let’s go before we’re late!” Joe shouted through the hallway. The sun was shining and they had a baseball game to get to. A little league game to be exact. After moving to California Joe was able to find a team for JJ to join once he was old enough. The group was good and while they didn’t need Joe to help coach (there were more than enough fathers involved by this point) the man was still more than eager to be involved. 

 

It was a simple game. No real winner or loser, which Joe thought was sort of ridiculous since that was the whole point of having different teams and all these games. Ben tried to get him not to be so serious but that was an issue for another day. 

 

Clara was already downstairs, twirling around in her pink and white Yankee jersey. She was excited for the game even if she’d just be on the sidelines cheering her little brother on. Joe had thought about finding a cheerleading squad for her to join but that would be handled on another weekend. 

 

“All right. I got one. Where are the rest?” Joe asked. He entered the living room, finding the twins playing on the carpet, locked away by the gated playpen, surrounded by all their toys. Taylor was the first to notice him and wiggles around, his grubby little hands reaching for his father. 

 

“Da! Da!” Taylor chanted happily, moving to crawl (despite being able to walk) and stood at the end to the gate; his chubby arms raising so Joe could see that he wanted to be held. 

 

Joe lifted Taylor up with ease, tickling his belly and getting the young child to giggle wildly. “Are you being good for your sister?” He asked, setting him back down with Daisy. 

 

“Joe!” The older male turned, leaving the three children in the living room so he could head to the stairs where his husband was currently coming down from. “We have a bit of an issue. He won’t come out.” 

 

“What do you mean he won’t come out?” Joe asked, turning away from his husband so he could yell towards the upper level. “JJ! Come on buddy, we’re gonna be late!” No movement came from upstairs. No noise or sign of their four-year-old son. “I’ll take care of this. You keep an eye on them.” 

 

Heading up the stairs, Joe slipped down the hall and into JJ’s bedroom, finding the boy hiding behind his bed. He was dressed in his uniform, with his hat in the floor beside him.

 

“Hey, buddy,” Joe spoke softly, approaching carefully from the side. “What’s going on? We’re gonna be late for your game.” 

 

JJ let out a small whine, shifting on the floor with his head tilted down. “I don’t wanna go.” He grumbled softly.

 

“You don’t? Since when?” 

 

JJ shrugged, still keeping his eyes down as he twisted his cap around in his hands. “Since ever.” 

 

“But you seemed so excited before,” Joe argued. “Remember when we went to pick out your uniform? How excited you were to get number 2? It’s like-”

 

“Derek Jeter,” JJ answered though his tone was quiet and to be honest, quite miserable.

 

Joe had always wanted a boy that he could play the sport with. He knew it was old fashioned and even a bit sexist, but it was just something he did with his own father that he wanted to carry down. Joe watched his son down, so willing to hide away if it meant not having to go play and he began to wonder if all that excitement that JJ had shown was just played up in his own head.

 

“You know bud, you only have six more games left in the season. Do you think you can stick to it until the end?” He offered, hoping that he could persuade his son to put up with it until then. He wanted to teach his children a bit of responsibility, that they couldn’t just walk away from things because it got tough. 

 

JJ let out a small whimper, bobbing his head though he was rubbing his hands against his eyes the same way Joe did whenever he tried to keep himself from shedding tears.

 

Joe wondered if there was something else going on with him. Were the kids picking on him without Joe realizing? Was it too hot out on the field? Did he even like the sport? Joe didn’t understand but he always said he would never force his kids to do anything they didn’t want to do. 

 

Moving to sit on the ground, Joe pulled his son into his lap, holding him close. JJ curled into him easily, his blond little head resting on his chest. “Hey hey. It’s okay. You don’t have to pay if you don’t want to.” 

 

“Not mad?” His son asked him carefully. 

 

Joe had always wanted his child to play sports. Always wanted a son to throw a ball to just as he did with his own father did. But he would never force it into his son. Never make him fit into this ideal lifestyle that Joe fantasized about. 

 

“No JJ. I’m not mad.” He promised softly, pressing a soft kiss to his head. “How about we get you changed and we do something else, huh? Wanna go to the park?”

 

JJ automatically perked up at the idea “Frankie come too?” 

 

In an instant, the puppy that was no longer a puppy but rather a full-size dog, dug her way out from under the bed, pouncing around them happily. 

 

“Frankie too.” Joe laughed, happy to hear the sound mimicked by his son as Frankie licked at his face. 

 

🙏

 

It was about a week later and Ben was running late. He blamed himself but he also blamed his daughter who decided to play in the backyard twenty minutes before her ballet class. Joe was out with the twins for a bit of daddy/baby time while Ben was with the older two. 

 

He didn’t realize how dirty his daughter had gotten until they were on their way to the dance studio. He was tossing her back cleaning wipes in hopes of her not looking like she was rolling around in the dirt. 

 

He had JJ in his arms as they ran inside, just making it by seconds. He put the four-year-old down who automatically ran over to the window so he could watch his big sister join her class in their warm-ups. 

 

Ben was accepting the harsh words that came from the owner of the studio, taking in the crude words about how his daughter didn’t take her dancing seriously and instead wore her tutu for things other than performing and practicing. 

 

In the corner of his eye, he watched his son, saw how he was mimicking the movements easily enough. Clara was doing it because it was the routine, just following along with the rest of the group because that was what she was meant to be doing. She was apart of the class so she followed alone for the hour she had to be there.

 

JJ, on the other hand, was doing it with his own free will and seemed to keep up with the kids that were far older than him. Turning back to the owner, Ben made a gentle promise that he’d speak with his daughter about her continuation with the classes and if she really was serious about dancing. Which she wasn’t since Clara wasn’t a dancer; she agreed to take it because it was something to do and she likes the outfits.

 

Joe had wanted their children to do more with their life than just sit around and while Clara was becoming more popular in the modeling industry, the redhead also wanted her to have an active hobby that involved children her own age. She didn’t outright hate it, but she put up with it well enough. 

 

Ben knew better than that, however. She didn’t like to be perfectly graceful and follow along with the crowd. She likes to run and be a bit rough. She wasn’t a tomboy but she also wasn’t some prissy little thing that liked to be an adorable doll. 

 

JJ was the gentle one. The child that likes to follow the rules and go with the flow of things. He was the one that was graceful and enjoyed a proper routine. 

 

Ben made a mental note to speak with his husband later that night. He had a bit of an idea. 


	16. You are -- you are -- you are -- you are a DINOSAUR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check the bottom for updates

Joe was a professional. How could he not be? He took every single role seriously and he was proud of each one of them. Yes, even that one. Some he was more well known than others, but he didn’t mind much. He took pride in his work and he found that he preferred to be behind the camera anyway. 

 

Still, he always enjoyed reaping the benefits of his roles. Now, it wasn’t like he was anything special. He didn’t have a fantastic Facebook page because he was in the Social Network nor did he get free Army shit because he was in the Pacific.

 

But his movies and directing opportunities that he carried from pen to paper (or key to screen, for that matter) allowed him to live a quiet comfortable life. A wonderful, but hectic life with his four children where he could provide with kids with almost everything their dear hearts desired.

 

Four children. Joe never thought he would have children, let alone, and then twins soon after. It was a horror story, but it was a horror story that he came to life. Clara was eight and thriving - in school and as a part-time model. Joe wasn’t surprised when Clara took on the modeling bug from her Papa. She would frequent the modeling agency often and be as cute as a button. How could she not want to be photographed by everyone and anyone? Of course, the gigs were only on weekends and Friday evenings as to not obstruct with her school schedule. Ben kept an eye on her throughout the shoots, knowing all too well the safety precautions when photographing children. Ben and Joe didn’t know if she was going to continue to model as a teen and young adult but they’d follow her as long as she is willing to ride it.

 

After a mishap of passions, JJ finally found his place - at a dance studio. He traded his cap, mit, and bat for leotard and ballet shoes. Clara, aside from modeling, took this as an exit from dancing, trading it in for softball. Clara adored going to baseball games with her daddy and the softball team that she joined weeks after JJ left were a great, passionate group of little ladies, ready to show the boys how badass the ladies can be smacking a bat and throwing a curve. 

 

At the age of five, JJ was the star of every dance class that required a boy. Even though it was the 21st century, girls always outnumbered boys, so he was used in multiple classes as the token boy. He didn’t mind it. More dancing practice for him. Joe would be lying if he didn’t shed a tear every time his little man graced the stage at a recital or competition. This was his passion, Joe and Ben knew. They felt it in their gut. Clara’s interest in softball or modeling may change but there was something about the way JJ gilded about that gave the older men the impression that JJ’s future was on stage.

 

Then there were the twins. Sure, the first two years with the twins were filled with far too many diapers and tears than Joe or Ben could even count. Now, at three, they were settling into bodies - and at full force. Taylor and Daisy were twins, mostly due to their ginger roots. But other than that, they were nothing alike. Taylor was a chatty monkey who looked up to Joe as if he was God while Daisy was content with her little space, especially if that space was in their garden. She loved the outdoors. 

 

She loved the little creatures that ran about and the scent of the flowers. She asked if she could start a vegetable garden in addition to the pretty flowers. Joe or Ben could never say no to the little redhead, so the men were proud to say that some of their home-cooked meals were made with peppers, tomatoes and string beans that grew from their garden. Whos knows - maybe Daisy would be the next Bindi Irwin. Anything with nature, Daisy couldn’t get enough of it.

 

Taylor's true calling, on the other hand, came a bit later, during a family excursion. Now, now and then Joe would get an invite to something Jurassic Park related and who could turn that down? Growing up, he was always excited to say he was the kid from Jurassic Park. Seeing kids dress up at him was adorable and knowing that his legacy as a non-annoying movie kid was fantastic. 

 

When the invite to one of the newer Dino Parks came along, well Joe just couldn’t say no. Especially now that he was a father with kids who would lose their shit over going to a theme park.

 

Clara and JJ knew all about his films and took pride in knowing their daddy survived all those attacks from fake creatures. The twins were learning two though they were still so little that Joe knew it was hard for them to comprehend that all of it was fake. 

 

Yes, Dinosaurs lived a long time ago but not anymore. Sure, the newer movies have you believing that they’re gonna roam the earth freely but that was just some movie universe. In reality, Joe worried that the kids would be somewhat terrified of the place. 

 

Not Taylor, if he was being honest. The boy loved his Dino pajamas and watched Dinosaur Train, but that didn’t mean he didn’t deal with nightmares from time to time. Taylor . . . he was a gentle soul. He had all the goodness of Ben and Joe combined and there was nothing wrong with that. Indeed, Joe felt like the boy would have some issues later in life but for now, Joe didn’t mind offering some extra cuddles when he needed them. 

 

They got everybody set up, all wearing their theme park attire. Joe was happy to see dinosaur clothing was coming back in style and each child and even the adults had something to offer. Of course, Joe just had to wear some Jurassic Park merch though Ben had his usual “Not The Mama” shirt from that old Dinosaurs TV show that was on when Joe was a kid.

 

Clara and JJ had their shirts and the twins had picked out their outfits. They were getting older, being three and all, so Ben insisted that they’d be more independent. Daisy was a bit more mature with her clothing choices while Taylor was more than happy to just steal a shirt from Joe and walk around in it like it was an older sized sleep shirt. 

 

They packed up Ben’s car and took it to the Dino Park. Joe met with the managers and had their little photo opts and all that. He signed the papers they wanted him to sign before allowing them to put it up on social media that Tim Murphy himself was at the dinosaur park. 

 

People were asking him if he’d ever come back to reprise the role though he didn’t have much to say. He would be honored to bring back such a fan favorite but right now it just didn’t seem like that’s the direction they were taking. He wasn’t sure and he was perfectly fine with that. He was directing his work and writing with Rami. He was content with his career. 

 

Once given the go, he let the kids run loose at the park though he kept a special eye on the twins. Poor Daisy was being dragged around by the hand, this way and that way as Taylor had to see every single statue, figure, and picture. 

 

He named them all, much to the surprise to Joe and Ben. They read to him from time to time and it wasn’t like he couldn’t memorize any of them, but even Joe, who had played a dinosaur wiz, had issues pronouncing the names when he was just nine.

 

Here was Taylor, with his red hair and velcro shoes, his denim shorts and plaid shirt held up with suspenders. Looking adorable as he dragged his sister around to make sure she saw each dinosaur. 

 

Daisy didn’t care much, but as twins, they did everything together. Every day Joe waited for her to complain, for her to break away from the other redhead in the family, but she never did. And part of Joe hoped they never would. He knew all about those relationships that twins had; those amazing connections that no one could ever break.

 

The twins couldn’t be more different if they tried and yet they remained stuck at the hip. 

 

“Daddy! Daddy! Dilophosaurus!” Taylor called out, pointing to animatronic off in the corner. 

 

Hearing such a long word be spoken by such a young boy was just too much for Joe to bear. He sounded it out gently, stretching the words gently.  _ Dee-lop-ee-ah-sor-rus _ .

 

“That’s right, bud! Dilophosaurus.” 

 

“How does he know that? I only know The T-Rex and that one with all the spikes.” Ben mentioned, keeping his eye on JJ and Clara, who was talking a selfie by one of the wall paintings. 

 

“Well, we read to him enough. And Allen got him the Dinosaur encyclopedia book for his last birthday. That thing is like his bible.” Joe reminded him. 

 

“Yeah, but it’s not like he can read.” 

 

“No, but if you show him the picture and read it out to him, he can memorize it,” Joe added, turning when he heard the all too familiar squeal of their youngest. 

 

“A brachiosaurus!” He shouted, pointing out to the long neck slide that other children were currently going down.  _ Brock-ee-oh-sor-rus _ . “Daddy! Daddy see!” 

 

“I see, Tay. I see.” 

 

“It’s a slide!” Daisy mentioned, breaking away from her brother to go over to Ben. She grabbed hold of three of his fingers, tugging him forward. “Papa slide with me!” 

 

“Looks like I’ll be sliding for a bit,” Ben chuckled, allowing the young girl to pull him. “Will you be alright on your own?” 

 

“Not my first rodeo, Ben.” Joe insisted, watching as the two went off. 

 

He turned to see his oldest two joining their young brother, taking selfies at one of those wooden plates that you’d put your face into. It was a wholesome scene and Joe swiftly took his phone out to snap a few pictures. 

 

Witnessing this made Joe’s heart swell and he would be looking at these photos later tonight with Ben before bed. Taylor surprised him today. He knew he liked dinosaurs but to what extent, Joe and Ben had no idea. Now, he was just three, so this could be a phase. Next, he will be a train extraordinaire. Still, being able to memorize all the species, all wide-eyed and with passion, facts to boot, made Joe take a mental note - there’s something there. 

 

Perhaps Joe didn’t know if it was with Dinos or trains or Peppa Pig but it was a passion nonetheless, and Joe would make damn sure that this little one would never feel that his passions were illegitimate. Clara would model. JJ would dance. Daisy would garden and Taylor would be a paleontologist. But this was all speculation. It could all change by next week. Though, if this was the true calling for his Mazzellos, then Joe found it _DinoRific._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's come to our attention that this fandom, while not completely dying, is fizzling out. And that is not surprising. Ben and Joe are doing their own thing and with the never-ending parade of "Queerbaiting" the two of them have put up with, it's honestly surprising it didn't happen sooner. 
> 
> All good things come to an end, but before they do, we will go out with a bang. 
> 
> My co-writer and I have planned far too much to just stop, so here is how it's gonna play out. We have this chapter here and then you will get one extra exploring Taylor's acting career. After that, we are going to show the highs and lows of Ben's final pregnancy and introduce the world to their last child. 
> 
> After that, you will get a small little indication of who the child is and then we'll include one BIG chapter on where the kids all end up when they're adults. All will be out before Christmas, so just wait and see, all right?


	17. Jurassic Park Theme

It came faster than Joe expected it to. He heard the rumors, knew the talk. Jurassic Park was back, though this time it was going by _Jurassic World_. He hadn’t seen the newer movies though he was happy to see those involved were succeeding. Joe had always been involved with marketing in one way or another. He went to events when invited and he took his kids to all dinosaur events.

 

His career had blossomed over time to the point where he was confidently bring recognized not as the kid from Jurassic Park, but from the work he created beside Rami. Of course, Jurassic Park would always be his finest achievement. 

 

He was proud of the movie that launched his career, so when the offer came to bring his character back, how could he say no? There was a catch, however. They were inviting everyone (literally every person from the first movie that was still alive or acting had been invited back) but there was more to the characters than just them returning. 

 

“You are older. They have their own lives, their own families. We’re looking into casting young newcomers to play the children of Tim and Lex.” The scriptwriter explained to Joe when they called him in for the meeting about it. “It’s just going to be a small role, but we were wondering if your son was interested.” 

 

“My son?” Joe asked immediately. “I could ask him, but his schedule is pretty hectic as it is. Dancing has become pretty serious for him. Well, not pretty serious. It’s his career.” JJ had advantaged from just average dancing to appearing in music videos and performing on stage. 

 

This was his life now and Joe couldn’t have been prouder if he tried. 

 

The scriptwriter and the casting director chuckled then. “We meant your youngest, Joseph. He’s about the age we had in mind for the character and there is no denying that he looks exactly like you.” 

 

Joe snorted, rolling his eyes fondly. Everyone in the galaxy told him how much Taylor looked like him. The red hair, the high cheekbones, the button nose. He was his twin. Poor thing didn’t seem to have an ounce of Ben in him. Like his perfect little clone. 

 

“Do you think the boy would be interested?” 

 

Taylor liked dinosaurs but he couldn’t imagine him wanting to be in a film like this. Joe made it his purpose to keep his children out of film unless they showed interested. Clara and JJ had their modeling and dancing, but the younger two seemed unfazed by the Hollywood life. 

 

He wanted his children to have as normal as an upbringing as they possibly could despite who their parents were. He was left speechless, unsure of what to say about it. 

 

He brought it up to Ben who seemed to have the same feeling. It could go either way. It would be a small role and if it didn’t work then at least they could move on from it. 

 

He brought it up to Taylor later that night, tucking him into bed as he did every night despite him being seven and no longer needing to be tucked in. “You know, someone from work asked if you wanted to audition for a movie with me.” 

 

“What’s audition?” Taylor asked curiously. 

 

“Well, it’s like a tryout. Remember how JJ had to try out for his dancing school? Well, you try out for a role. You see, they’re gonna have a daddy in that Dino movie again and since you look so much like me, they thought it would be neat if you played my son.”

 

Taylor giggled, those adorable eyes squinting as he watched him. “I _am_ your son silly!” 

 

“You are, but you’d also be Tim Murphy’s son. Now, it’s just an audition, so you might not get it, but if you’d like to try, you can come with me on Thursday.” 

 

“Can Daisy come?” He asked, hugging Lego the Stego close to his chest. 

 

Joe sighed, shaking his head. The twins were as close as ever but he knew this wasn’t something his daughter would want to be involved in. She was an introvert who just wanted to stay in her garden and Joe was fine with that. She hated premieres and events where they had to dress up and put a smile on her face. Joe made it very clear he’d never force his children to do anything they didn’t want to do. 

 

“Sorry, bud. But I’ll be there! It will be you and me, Tay!” 

 

“Daddy and Taylor only?” Taylor asked, already liking the idea of it. “Okay!” 

 

With that, he was in. And come Thursday, Joe brought his youngest down to the lot so they could set up the screen test. They had reassured Joe that even if Taylor was terrible, he’d have the job anyway because he just looked so much like Joe. They would cut his character up for the most part, maybe even keep him silent, but the face was what they wanted. 

 

“Okay Taylor, so we’re just gonna work on a few things okay?” The casting director said softly. She had worked with children before, this much Joe knew, and he watched from the side as Taylor focused on her. “Just relax okay? Can I ask you a few questions?” When Taylor bobbed his head, she continued. “What would you do if you saw a dinosaur?” 

 

“What kind?” Taylor asked gently. 

 

The casting director smile, leaning on her arms as she crouched down to his height. “Whatever kind you want.” 

 

Taylor hummed, thinking it over. “Well, if I saw a parasaurolophus, I would be okay because those are plant eaters and I would be safe, though they can be fast so I wouldn’t want to be on its way. If I saw a pterodactyl I would want to get under a tree or something because then it couldn’t swoop down and get me.

 

The director turned his head, raising a brow to Joe. “He knows his shit, doesn’t he?” 

 

“Who do you think raised him?” Joe said proudly. 

 

“What if it was a long-heck?” The casting director asked. 

 

“I would be safe too cause they only eat tree stars!” Taylor said proudly. 

 

“What about . . . a T-Rex?” She countered. 

 

“Well, . . . from what daddy says T-Rex’s see with movement so I’d want to be super quiet and not make a sound or move an inch.” 

 

“And if it was chasing you? What would you do then?”

 

Taylor was quiet for a moment, thinking it over long and hard before screaming in the casting directors' face. It caught her off guard, sending her to the ground. Taylor smiled sweetly when he finished, looking around to his father and the other adults in the room. 

 

“Right well, let’s see how he does doing some lines, huh?” The casting director suggested, pushing herself up off the floor. 

 

To show surprise, he did well. Very well. So much so that he had the whole place in shock just by how easily he was able to pick up Tim’s mannerisms. They had a small screen to show what scenes they wanted Taylor to reenact though he didn’t even need it. He had seen the movie enough times to know what to do. 

 

He had the smile down and the way he would speak. He cracked jokes and the prop book they gave him was held the same way. It was almost a little scary. 

 

When the way was over, the scriptwriter told Joe they were so happy with what they say they wanted to extend the role for Taylor. He would play not only Tim Murphy’s off-spring but Tim Murphy himself in a flashback scene. 

 

Joe was flabbergasted, having not expected any of his children to take an interest in acting. 

 

And that was a fact as Taylor didn’t. He liked being on set, but only to be around Joe. And he liked all the dinosaurs though he was very sad that most of them weren’t there. The high light for him had been that because now that dinosaurs roamed the earth, Tim’s son takes in an abandoned [Lesothosaurus](https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/Lesothosaurus.shtml) as its smaller and adorable.

 

Of course, that was CSI too though they did use an animatronic in a few scenes where the character had to be comfortable and touch the thing. 

 

He was good at his job. He could handle lines and emotions. He screamed and reacted and ran from things that weren’t even there. He interacted with the other actors and had good on-screen chemistry with them, though they both shined when they were in the same scene together. 

 

It was a lot of work and there were times when Joe could see that Taylor missed his family. He would FaceTime Ben and Daisy every day and sometimes Billie and Tom if they got the chance to talk. He was having a lot of fun but being away wasn’t easy on any of them. 

 

He knew a lot about dinosaurs, something that Joe was very proud of. He even corrected the screenwriter a time or two when he confused two different types of dinosaurs. It was easy to see his son was a perfect little know it all and wouldn’t want it any other way. 

 

When they wrapped, Taylor was happy to be home, though something was missing. Joe and Ben though that perhaps Taylor missed the excitement of acting. Being a writer/director and actor, they had no issue bringing their kids to set or even getting them roles, but that wasn’t they wanted. 

 

Joe loved acting, but he was happy when it was finished. He was excited to see the final film, though he didn’t think he would be in another film any time soon. He was too comfortable and set in his ways with all the work he was doing with Rami. 

 

So when his son continued to pout and follow him around when they were had home, he had a little sit down to make sure he was all right. 

 

“I just miss hanging out with you.” He admits softly. “And I miss my little dino friend. He was really neat.”

 

Leave it to Taylor to get attached to something that didn’t even exist. Joe talked to Ben about this, on what they should do to help him. The suggestion came when it was late and Ben was turning the light off so they could go to bed. “Could always get him a lizard.” 

 

It wasn’t ideal, but what other choice did they have? They didn’t want Taylor to continue pouting and he was old enough to care for his pet. 

 

So they took him to the pet store, deciding that after all the hard work he did, he deserved a treat. They got him all excited, explaining that lizards were like the modern dinosaur. Taylor was shaking his head seat, probably dancing through the store as they went to the reptile area. 

 

They were about to bring him to the area where they had all the different types of dinosaurs when he stopped in his track. Inside a large glass, the tank was one tiny turtle. It seemed to be the only one left and was all alone. 

 

For Taylor, it was love at first sight and the boy began wailing at the idea of leaving the poor, defenseless turtle alone in the tank, having nothing a tiny plastic cave for company. 

 

So in the end, they abandoned the lizard idea and Taylor went home with his next best friend. 

 

“What are you going to name him, champ?” Ben asked as they drove back home. 

 

Taylor hummed loudly, holding the tiny travel tank up so he could look at the turtle. “Murphy!” He decided proudly. “After me and daddy from our movie!” 

 

Joe laughed fondly, shaking his head at how adorable the young boy could be at times. 

 

After that, Murphy went everywhere with him. Everywhere. Joe didn’t know if a turtle could be an emotional support pet for a child, but he was as close as he could be to one for Taylor. It almost became a problem for them as he tried to take him into the bath and pool more than one time. 

 

When the premier of the movie came about, they made it very clear that Murphy was to be kept home. Taylor grumbled but agreed, putting on his suit that matched Joe’s to a T and they hit the red carpet. 

 

Ben and the others went too, though they’d skipped the whole carpet ordeal and just went into the theatre, leaving the other two to be interviewed. He did fantastic with the pictures, posing for all of them and smiling brightly with his father.

 

“And here we have the Mazzello boys! Joe, how does it feel to be reprising this character that meant so much to the adults that watched this movie as a child?” 

 

“It feels good. Tim Murphy will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m proud to bring him back.” 

 

“And this is little Taylor, right? I don’t know if anybody ever told you this, but he looks a lot like you.” 

 

That had Joe laughing, looking down at his son proudly. “Yeah, just a bit.” 

 

“Taylor, did you like being in the movie with your dad?” 

 

Taylor bobbed his head, glancing at the microphone. “Oh! Yes, I did.” 

 

“What was your favorite part?” 

 

“Um, probably playing daddy and his son.” He stated. 

 

“You play a young Tim, right? And his son?” 

 

“Yup! Tim and Grant! That’s my name in the movie, but my real name is Taylor.” 

 

The interviewer laughed, taking in the sweetness of the young boy. “Now, this movie is going to be a hit, there is no doubt about that. How do you plan on celebrating?” 

 

“Well, I’m a working man so we’ll be having our fun tonight but tomorrow I am back in the studio. No rest for the wicked, you know?” 

 

“What about you Taylor?” 

 

“I’m going to take Murphy to get a salad cause it’s his favorite.” 

 

“Now who is Murphy?” 

 

“He’s my turtle!” He said proudly. “I got him cause daddy said I did a good job with my lines.” 

 

“Oh really? That’s excellent. Thank you so much for speaking with us tonight. I hope you have a fantastic time.” 

 

Rather than walking away with Joe, Taylor tugged gently on the woman’s dress. “Do you wanna meet him?” He stages whispered. 

 

“Meet who?” 

 

Rather than answering, Taylor went into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled Murphy out gently, placing him down onto his palm. 

 

“Taylor!” 

 

“Well, would you look at that!” The interviewer laughed, turning the camera back on. 

 

All Joe could do was a laugh, mostly because he refused to be the father that reprimanded his child on live TV.

 

“This is Murphy! He’s a box turtle and my best friend.” Taylor said proudly. “He likes Cheez-Its and hates techno-music.” 

 

“Oh my god, Taylor.” Joe laughed, rubbing his hands with his face. “Come on, bud. We gotta get to our seats.” 

 

“Okay! Bye lady, thank you for talking to us.” 

 

Joe led Taylor old, having him hid the turtle from security as they got to the theatre. Taylor ran ahead of him, going back to his sister and giggling wildly as he told her about the interview.

 

Ben approached, raising a brow as Joe downed the drink he purchased on entering. “He brought the turtle.” He said automatically. 

 

Ben cocked his head back, laughing as he shook his head. “Certainly explains a lot.” He admitted. “I finally asked Daisy why she brought a purse since she doesn’t have a phone or anything. All she had was _kale_ in there. She told me it was in case she got hungry, but now it makes more sense.” 

 

“He told the last interviewer all about him. Our son is a dork, Ben.” 

 

“Yes, but at least he is a cute dork. He gets it from you.” 

 

There was a flicker of lights then, signifying the screening was about to take place. Ben and Joe went back to their seats and they made sure the kids had all their snacks and went to the bathroom. 

 

They all seemed to enjoy it, especially ben to enjoyed seeing his husband and son on-screen together and even he had to admit how jarring it was seeing Taylor portray Tim as a child. 

 

“Did Murphy like the movie?” Ben asked Taylor as they sat around the table for their meal.

 

Murphy was on the table beside Taylor, munching away at the kale Daisy packed. They were at the fancy restaurant that the theatre set up. Joe wasn’t going to keep him in the car but he also didn’t want the waitstaff to see a random reptile either so they had him partially hidden by his napkin. 

 

“Yes, though I had to cover his eyes a couple of times. It was just too spooky.” 

 

“Joe! Hey buddy,” Joe turned to see Jeff Goldblum approaching the table. “Wasn’t that great! You did amazing and your son. Taylor! Fantastic job, kid.” He paused, his head cocking. “Holy shit, is that a turtle?” 

 

And with that, Joe just took his glass of wine and drank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Taylor Mazzello is my favorite Mazzello child


	18. Baby Love

It was something that, by this point in Joe’s life, almost 45, married with three kids under his belt and directing career that spanned almost 20 years and mostly independent film awards, he could not fathom. Jurassic Park 3 had won every single big movie award for the best film. And today, as Joe and Ben lounge around the living room while their elementary and one middle school child were at school, they got the notice that the film would be up for an Oscar. And polls upon polls said they are likely to win it too.

 

Joe did not take Taylor to the first award ceremony for the Golden Globes. Joe knew he and his son did phenomenally. But he was still so unsure. He was always slightly unsure of his work. He has hope that it does well but it also was part of a series. The third in line. Why or how could it ever be as big as Jurassic Park?

 

But it was. Sure, Joe and Taylor were not the leads but at least it was more than the minuscule par the had been given for the second. One scene. One damn scene. Luckily everyone came to their scenes, brought the man back to play adult Tim and give a lucky child (his son aka. His twin) the chance of a lifetime to “play” his son. Taylor didn't need much coaching to be his daddy’s son. He got that role down. Unlike Daisy, who just shrugged about loving her parents. Just shrugged about everything. Leave me to my planets and nap time, she'd say after a long day of school. Joe still tried to connect the pieces of that puzzle to Joe or Ben. Maybe she lies truly in the middle.

 

“An Oscar! Joseph, regardless if you win or not, you'll have to go.” Ben remarked, scrolling through the Oscar lineup.

 

Joe groaned, “I know. I mean,  don't get me wrong. I'm ecstatic! But I already got all dressed up for the Globes and SAG. I hate wearing a suit.”

 

“You wore a suit proudly for our wedding.”

 

“Yeah. Only because I knew you'd be taking it off later.”

 

Ben rolled his eyes, “I took it off you afternoon fell asleep next to Clara the night off.”

 

Joe corrected the blond, “yeah. Like I just said, I knew you were going to take it off me later.”

 

Ben shook his head with a cheeky smile, “and what makes you think I won't be the one taking it off after we win the Oscar.”

 

Joe stuck his fork out to the blond, a cup of Ramen having appeared from nowhere, “We have three children under the age of 13. We’ll be exhausted after the whole ordeal.”

 

“Perhaps we can have your mother watch the kids and have a small mini-vacation if we win? My latest shoot ends right around the Oscars. Perfect timing.”

 

Joe rebutted, “No, no. This is Taylor and I project. Our baby. We gotta celebrate it with the whole family. You can wait to be a whore all up on me a little longer.”

 

Ben mumbled a bit under his breath, then replied to his husband at last, “Yes, yes, alright. And I'm not a whore for wanting to spend time with my husband.”

 

“Yes, it is when all you want to do is bed me.” 

 

“.....and? I don't see anything wrong with that.” Ben leaned over on the couch to try and kiss his husband on the cheek. 

 

Joe pushed him away playfully, “Get outta here. Get the Laptop and figure out a possible family getaway spot for winter break.”

 

“Mmmm. Yes, daddy.” Ben hummed, earning a slap on the knee from Joe, who always got slightly turned on by being called daddy by Ben. 

 

“I swear to GOD. Get out of here!” Joe was honest, though he didn't shy away from adjusting himself as Ben left the room to grab the laptop from joe’s desktop.

 

~*~

 

And they did find a family getaway spot. Because of Jurassic Park 3 it all. Joe, Taylor and the rest of the Mazzello crew dressed in their Sunday best and went to the Academy Awards ceremony. Taylor was on Cloud 9. When given the chance to say a few words, he almost forgot the English language. 

 

Yet with a simple rub of the back by his dad on stage, Taylor moved up to the mic and said something along the lines of having the best daddies and turtle and brother and sisters. He also mentioned his best friend Billie and how the only thing that would make it better had the animated Dino in the movie be real.

 

The celebration for the Mazzellos happened about a week later when everyone had off for winter break. All Joe could imagine that would be something that a 12-year-old, 9-year-old and two 7-year-olds would like was Disney. And when Joe suggested the bunch, Taylor screamed and the rest got all giddy, the girls veering off to Clara’s room to discuss land events while JJ took no time to run to his room and FaceTime his best friend and Rami’s son, Jude.

 

“Daddy! You know what this means?” Taylor said, all wide-eyed and adorable.

 

“What bud?” Joe chuckled as Taylor came forward to wrap his arms around his father in a tight waist hug.

 

“We might see us on a Dino ride! Can I take a picture of me with me?!”

 

“Whatever you want, Tay. This vacation is our celebration for Jurassic Park, so it's really about us. We can do everything we want.”

 

“So that means Murphy comes too?”

 

Joe nodded, “Yes, Murphy too.”

 

Before Joseph could say another world, Tay loosened his grip and began to run upstairs, babbling about up the stairs about how Murphy needs to help him pack his suitcase.

 

Joe glanced over to Ben, who smirked, shaking his head in response as well. That kid was something. A Mazzello.

 

Now, unfortunately for the adults, having one child in Middle School and the rest in elementary, there wasn't much wiggle room for alone time. Ben and Joe were pulled in all different directions to go on all different rides. Of course, they could've left the three younger ones with Clara but that wasn't fair to their oldest and honestly, Joe and Ben adored the time with their kids. They wouldn't want to have it any other way.

 

So their private celebration would have to wait. Wait for until Spring break, when Gwilym's colleague gave him a camping ground spot and a super large trailer. Clara was instantly invited by her favorite uncle, Uncle Owie and the twins had Gwilym and Allen’s adopted “Irish” (not literally) twins, Sybil (Billie) and Thomas (Tom). 

 

JJ, as a budding tween, had no interest in camping, so he begged to spend the weekend at Rami and Lucy’s. Always a chance for JJ to spend time with his best “friend” Jude. The girls of the triplet crew, Eleanor and Lennon, were nice too, he guessed. But boys were better, he exclaimed when Joe and Ben dropped him off.

 

When Ben and Joe let the oldest Mazzello boy go, the husbands went home, parked the SUV, and called a cab to the closest pub. The house was empty and rooms would be used later for special celebratory events but first, alcohol. And jukebox music. Joe had enough spare change for the both of them to get drunk off their asses to sweet, sweet numbers of their choice.

 

Some hour last night and then men stumbled to their front door. It has been a while since they got this drunk. A few beers or glasses of wine here or there but four kids means a lot of looking after and you can't have too much or else one of them might go missing. 

 

“Shhhh. Shh. We have to be quiet. We don't want to wake up the kids.” Ben comments through slurred speech, leaning on Joe for support as the ginger attempts to unlock the front door.

 

“Why won't the key work? This is shit.”

 

“Babe. Baby. I-I think this is. The front door is a fingerprint. The backdoor still uses a key.”

 

Joe hummed, “Mmm. I'd love to get in your backdoor.”

 

As Joe finally opened the door with a finger, Ben slaps him, “No. No. We can't do that. We don't have anything but lube and I'm snipped, you're not even though you promised.”

 

“Hey. I got busy, okay? Also, stop being such a Debbie Downer. We are in our 40s. We can't even have sex properly anymore.”

 

Ben grunted, slapping Joe again in the bicep, “Will you keep quiet or we will wake up the children.”

 

“Stop slapping me and numb nut. They are not here. Camping remember?”

 

“Oh right. Yeah, ok. That means the party is still on.” Ben affirmed with a cheeky smile, taking a bottle of vodka from a top cabinet.

 

Joe practically purred as Ben put the bottle on the table with two shot glasses they bought from Italy. “God I love you.”

 

“Oh, I know. Never old for some good old whipped vodka.” With a clank of their glasses followed by a swing to the throat, the men were off to the races once again. 

 

Before long, one-shot became two and two became three. Joe was not stumbling and Ben was even more giddy, going on about how he was stronger than Joseph, which of course, Joe had to be a macho man and prove otherwise, lifting the blond onto the kitchen countertop. “See here you blond bastard. I'm strong still. Can't still do it all.”

 

“Even fuck properly?” The blond questioned, pulling the other male closer by his legs, which wrapped slightly at the back of joes knees. 

 

“Oh don't tempt me, Benjamin.”

 

“Oh, I tempt you alright. Come here you dirty American.” Ben was drunk on shots and his award-winning husband. And still so fucking hot in his mid-40s.

 

Tongues played a good game as quickly clothes were stripped off each other. For some reason, there was lube in a kitchen drawer and before long, Ben slipped off the counter and faced the countertop, Joe prepping himself for entry, no real foreplay beforehand because Joe knew he could only ride this erection long enough without his drunken state enveloping him completely and he blackout. With one fluid thrust, he was in. 

 

Not surprising after knowing his husband's body for over a decade. Though he was still lightly surprised because he was so drunk. This act kind of reminded Joe of their first time, though Joe wasn't on top and it was a couch, not a kitchen top. But it was hard, needy. A much-needed fuck, indeed.

 

Sadly, Joe and Ben couldn't keep their promise of staying coherent during the hard fuck. Joe blacked out and frankly, he didn't think a condom was on him but he pulled out, he thought. He tried to ask Ben the next morning but the blond was just as hungover and barring a throbbing headache as the ginger. 

 

Ben pointed over to a mess of burned, baked goods on the kitchen island. “We baked goods too, eh?”

 

“I don't even remember if we finished,” Joe whined, his hands over his eyes to protect from the too-bright late morning sunlight. 

 

“I mean..my arse hurts.” Ben slowly lifted his body, bones cracking from the award sleeping position in the adjacent living room to the kitchen. The blond made his way to the bathroom, a gasp escaping his lips as he inspected his body. “I got a major hickey on my neck and an imprint of your hand on my arse. What the actual hell, Joe?”

 

“I don't remember that! You have a nice ass and it was probably very slappable at that moment.”

 

“Some night,” Ben muttered, coming back into the living area to grab some medication for their hangovers. 

 

“What a way to celebrate. A good, hard fuck and burnt cookies.”

 

“Perfect way to celebrate my Oscar-winning husband, honestly. Don't think we will ever forget last night..even though I forgot how it ended.”

 

“It's okay. We won't need to ever remember all of it.” Joe took the water and pills from his husband, “Just that we still got it in us to drink ourselves silly and fuck like animals.”

 

Ben strolled over with a few groans here and there from the kitchen, trying his hardest to avoid the sun from the window blinded, taking a spot next to Joe on the couch, clinking his glass of water with his husband’s, “Wouldn't want it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Ben and Joe had sex. You know what thaaaaaaat means. 
> 
> The next chapter will arrive by Christmas.


	19. Father To Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be aware that certain topics brought up early in the chapter are slightly controversial. We're not here to start shit, it's just fucking fanfic. Aside from that, please enjoy it.

Being sick had never been an issue for either Ben or Joe. They were adults. Adults got sick. People got the flu, even though who got the flu shot. It wasn’t that big of a deal. What was a big deal was the consistency of it. 

 

The endless stomach pain that seemed to come and go, and then come again, and then leave altogether. The lack of appetite that was like a blood rollercoaster and then the vomiting. Late into the night, Ben would find himself getting up out of bed, pacing the room as his stomach churned deep inside, resulting in him running off to the bathroom to puke his guts out. 

 

He thought it was a stomach bug. He did his Googling, checked it all out. All the signs were there, so he decided to wait it out. Tums and Pepto had become his best friends, but nothing changed. Any time he thought he was fine and it finally cleared, he’d be slammed with another wave of nausea. 

 

Eventually, it began affecting his daily living. He couldn’t focus at the studio and he wasn’t sleeping right. He thought he could put it off, but as a father of four, he had to keep focus and that just wasn’t possible. 

 

In the comfort of their room, he spoke to Joe about it, because if Ben could trust anyone, it was his husband of ten years. 

 

Joe didn’t think it was worrisome. Odd, but nothing to fuss over. Ben thought the worst because that was who Ben was. In the back of his mind, he recalled all the horrible things his kid sister had gone through when she fell ill and he feared that cancer had finally made its way to him. 

 

Ben had gone to Gwilym about it, as they didn’t have an actual primary doctor. Despite not specializing specific illnesses, the man ran the blood test, promising to inform Ben if he found anything abnormal in the next couple of days. The waiting was almost torturous for them both, but they played it cool, not wanting to worry their children of this mess. 

 

When Gwilym called, Joe went with him for moral support and they sat in the all too familiar office waiting for Gwilym to arrive. When he did, he was as professional as possible, something that was rather off-putting as they had known the man for twelve years. Their children were friends and they saw one another often enough to have that tension between them cut out completely. 

 

Inside he spoke carefully, explaining exactly what was going on. 

 

“The blood test came back positive. You’re with child, Ben.” He told him somberly. 

 

Neither Ben nor Joe understood why he spoke so gravely about something they normally celebrate. They had done this time and time again. A surprise child, one that was planned, and then two more surprises wrapped in one. This time was just another surprise and yet the good doctor was looking at them with such a heavy gaze. 

 

“Male carriers of your age don’t usually go to full term.” He admitted carefully. 

 

“I’m sorry?” Joe questioned, adjusting how he sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair. 

 

“Geriatric pregnancy is hard enough on women. It’s ten, if not twenty times harder on male carriers.” Gwilym explained carefully. “Normally, the age of conception for male carriers is somewhere between seventeen to thirty-eight. Thirty-nine, if you are lucky. You’re in your forties, Ben. You’re beyond your limit.” 

 

“What are you saying, Gwilym?” Ben asked carefully. 

 

“I’m saying you may want to look into this particular situation and think about your options.” 

 

“What options?” 

 

“Abortion, Ben,” Joe replied dryly. “What exactly are we dealing with here, Gwilym? What makes this so much worse for Ben?” 

 

Gwilym, being the genius he was, explained it all using very large medical terms that neither Joe nor Ben truly understood. After a moment they stopped him, demanding that he just spit it out in a way they’d understand. 

 

“Carrying to full term is going to be harder than ever. The risk of miscarriage and the child being born still are incredibly high. You’re about eight weeks along. The most logical option would be to go with a medical abortion.” 

 

“That’s not happening,” Ben replied automatically. 

 

Joe’s head snapped forward, his eyes digging into the blond beside him. “Did you even listen to what he said? The risks are too high, Ben.” 

 

“Not every single geriatric pregnancy for a male carrier ends in the death of the child,” Ben responded. 

 

“You don’t know that!” 

 

“Gwilym. How many have been successful?” 

 

The doctor shifted in his seat as he thought of the numbers. “In my own experience? Five out of thirty.” 

 

“That’s good enough for me.” 

 

“That’s barely seventeen percent, Ben!” His husband fired back. 

 

“Perhaps you should go home and talk it over?” Gwilym suggested. “Get back to me by Friday and we’ll move forward on whatever you decide on.” 

 

They were back home in no time, neither wanting to speak to the other, though this wasn’t something that could be ignored. The children were all at school, giving them a rare moment of privacy. 

 

“Ben. You have to be smart about this.” Joe pressed on. “The risks are just too high.” 

 

“I’m in the best shape of my life.” Ben insisted. “I work out constantly. I handle pregnancy like a breeze. Sure, this time around isn’t ideal, but if you can handle it, so can I.” 

 

“I didn’t have constant pain like you do, Ben. Seventeen. Seventeen percent. That’s not high enough to take the chance.” 

 

“Better than sixteen,” Ben replied. “And fifteen. Joe I can’t just . . . .” He couldn’t finish the sentence. 

 

Because the truth was as easy as it was for him to say he was pro-choice, the decision becomes a lot harder the moment you are thrust into the situation. And as hard as it would be to go through all that shit, Ben’s first instincts were to do what was best for their children. 

 

“And what about the risks after birth? Okay, so the kid survives, but what if they have brain damage? What if they have motor issues?” 

 

“So what, you wouldn’t love our child if it had medical issues?” 

 

Joe huffed, throwing his hands up. “That’s not what I am saying at all! These are just things we have to take into account! Benny, honey, please. I know . . . I know this is something you feel like you have to do, but you can’t think with your heart. You have to use your head.” 

 

“How could you say that? This is our child, Joseph. This is. . . .” Ben shook his head, pacing the room once again. He finally stopped, sending a glare to his husband. “Look. You may not like it, but this is my body and my choice. And I’m going to go through with it despite all the risks.” 

 

Joe sighed, shaking his head. He could argue it, but what would be the point? Ben made it very clear that this was what he wanted. Despite the advice from a medical professional, the man was going to continue to be his usual stubborn self and Joe just didn’t have the time or energy to fight it. 

 

“Fine. Whatever.” He muttered quietly, getting up to go into his office, leaving Ben alone in the room. 

 

Well, not alone. Ben looked over to see Frankie, who in her old age had gotten gray and sleepy. He knelt carefully, going to pet her gently. “Ready to be a big sister again, Frankie?” He asked, smiling when he got a small howl from her. “Yeah. We’ll be alright, girl.” 

  
  
  
  


**3 Months**  

 

Ben was not going to deny that he became a bit of a manic in terms of researching geriatric pregnancies. There wasn’t much about male carriers. So little were successful. One article even stated that they want to do more research on male carriers over 40 but couldn’t find any couples over 40 who stayed together. Joe is damned if he ever called it quits with Ben.

 

Ben grabbed hold of a pad of paper, having found the best site for advice on carrying to full-term as a geriatric patient came from a Mom-blog. It wasn’t the first time Ben or Joe had to go to Mom's blogs. There was a moment after having JJ that Joe thought it would be nice to have a site for male carriers that wasn’t depressing or a site to damn them from existing, but Ben shot Joe down. It was too much exposure to them. 

 

They would be the spokespeople for it and Ben got into enough shit by his family finding out about his family via social media. Running the only positive and well-laid out male carrier website would be a whole new headache. Years later, after therapy and having his son and husband be in the limelight for JP3, Ben wished he didn’t hide in the shadows so much. He wished he would’ve shown his face other than on the cover of some advert. 

 

He began to jot down some of the tips and tricks to handing pregnancy as an older individual. There was the classic, stay hydrated. No coffee. No smoking. No alcohol. No seafood.

 

Ben was already on track. He drinks almost a gallon milk jug a day. He quit the coffee and tea immediately. I haven’t smoked a cigarette since Clara was born. No alcohol since making this new little one. And sadly, no seafood but he’d live until after he or she or they were in this world.

 

Prenatal vitamin was a biggy. And some other medication that keeps your levels (the chemicals that help you retain pregnancy) were available and well-documented to work. Of course, for women. 

 

Ben gave Gwilym a quick call and the other male advised him on a whole round of shots. “I don’t think it will be ideal to take the same cocktail as women, Ben,” Gwil said firmly over the speaker.

 

“Why? It will increase my chances.”

 

One could hear Gwilym sigh heavily from the other side of the line, “But you are not a woman. Pregnancy already screws up the male body. The cocktail that we use for geriatric cases would destroy you.”

 

“But there has to be something we can do.”

 

Ben could hear Gwilym’s head churning on the other side, “Yes. I will do a bit more digging and get back to you. I believe there is a drug tested well on male carriers that I read on a bit a month or so ago. If I deem it feasible in our case, we can start on it. But just know...you’d be my guinea pig, Benjamin…”

 

“Anything to help. Anything…”

 

“Are the early pregnancy complications starting to go away at all?” 

 

Ben sighed heavily this time, “No. That is also one of the reasons I rang you up. I think it’s getting worse. I’ve become a pro at hiding it from Joe and the kids, though.”

 

“Oh, Ben. I will get right on this. I promise you. I have a delivery this evening and then I’m off tomorrow. If you are available after two, we can have decaffeinated tea and mull this all over, yeah?”

 

Ben, suddenly feeling another wave of major nausea hit his stomach, allowed his lip muscles to slightly curl into a smile. Every bit through this hell helps. Helps him. It helps this bundle, just fighting for the chance to make it.

  
  
  


**4 Months**  

 

It took almost a month for Gwil and Ben to find a cocktail of medications to work. Such a cocktail allowed some of Ben’s symptoms to subside a bit. According to Gwil, the little one was still not meeting the same milestones in the womb and it, of course, alarmed him but he swore by this mixture. 

 

The medication also included two shots, in the morning and night. Joe shook his head after the first day of Ben’s shots. So much for someone so little. But the ginger knew that his children were his world. He would never give up on them. This one needs just as much of a fighting chance as all the others.

 

Their oldest, Clara, was the only one out of the four to pick up on some new things that were occurring around the house. JJ was too busy with his dancing lessons, Daisy with her garden and Taylor with his genius status, creaming JJ in the mathematics department though he was two years behind the dirty blond. 

 

It was late when Clara asked. The rest of the clan had gone to sleep. Since Clara was the only one in middle school, she was given the right to stay up an hour later. This often meant some quality time with her daddy and Papa. But with Daddy’s ever-busy schedule as a director and award-winner, there were often nights when it was just Papa and Clara, and she was 100% OK with that.

 

Ben, in the last month or so, had purchased some larger clothes, mostly hoodies even though he was not gaining an ounce. That’s when Clara commented.

 

“Papa...can I ask you a question?”

 

Ben and Clara spoke about a lot of serious topics, so it hears her ask him if something was a bit too personal and if he was okay with it, took the blond off-guard. Yet he allowed her to continue with her questioning with a nod.

 

“Are you feeling ill? You don’t eat much anymore and you aren’t dressing the same.” Clara commented carefully. “Why are you wearing jumpers and sweatshirts all the time? I mean, you always had a few during the winter months but you’ve been wearing this same one and it kind of looks… I don’t know, big on you.”

 

To be honest, Ben didn’t have a lie prepared. Now, it’s not that Ben and Joe were never going to tell the kids about the baby. They were...eventually. The whole situation was beyond difficult. And the risk of losing the child was so high that, if Ben did indeed lose the baby, it would wreck the kids as much as it would him. He couldn’t do that. 

 

At least, not yet. 

 

He had hoped to wait until month seven or eight. Not the tail end of month four. He was barely showing. Really. Barely. Joe commented on it the other night and that didn’t help Ben’s psyche at all. The thought about being into his second pregnancy, when you are supposed to be bigger than the first and here’s Ben, actually losing weight.

 

What lie could he tell his daughter that she wouldn’t be able to see right through in a second? The answer was that there was no lie he could tell her. It was only going to get more obvious from here. He would start to show eventually. His facial features, his appetite (hopefully), his mood and his gate would change in due time. It was only right that the oldest. The one that started it all, should know. She could take it. And Ben was sure that Joe would agree to this decision to attempt his secret.

 

“You are such an observant young lady, you know that?”

 

Clara shrugged and Ben continued, “I wish I didn’t have to be like this. And I wanted to keep it all from you too but I feel like, if I lied to you right now, you’d just see through me anyway.”

 

Clara cocked a brow, “What’s wrong, Papa?” He could see the alarm in her eyes. She must be thinking of something even worse - like cancer. Where some symptoms do correlate. Sickness. Losing weight. Bags under his eyes. Being even more of an insomniac. Ben had it all. Luckily, it wasn’t that. It could lead to something great. To someone great - if only the stars aligned just right, with Gwil and Ben’s efforts medically working simultaneously.

 

“Nothing...not really. I’m expecting.”

 

“Expecting what?” She asked, and then paused when her brain finally made the connection.

“Oh...how far along?”

 

“Almost five months.”

 

Clara furrowed her brow, the look of concern fading and replaced with a hint of frustration, “And you weren’t going to say anything? Papa, that doesn’t sound like you at all.”

 

“You are right. It doesn’t sound like me. And that’s why I can’t keep it from you any longer. It’s just...Uncle Gwilym has concerns since I’m in my forties. All the reports have shown that there is less than 20 percent chance that the baby will be born.”

 

“Oh…” was all Clara could answer. Ben leaned over and took her hand in his. Even though she was twelve, his hand still engulfed hers. If he didn’t feel so weary of his body, he’d pick her up and embrace her tightly in his arms. He knew that she’d carry this as weight just as much as he was. She was papa’s girl. She couldn’t help it.

 

“Even though the chance is low, I still want to give this little one a chance. Even if only for a short time.” Ben shook his head, “But I’m still not doing well. Uncle Gwil and I are going through a round of medications and I’m cutting down at work but I’m still not gaining the weight I should. I even stopped going to the gym. Now I just jog. Not even run.”

 

“Is there any way I can help, Papa?”

 

Ben nodded, “Yes. As always, be a good big sister and please, for right now, keep this between us and daddy. I will tell the others in a few months. I can’t stomach all of my children getting attached to a possible new member-only to be taken away from them. Just imagine Taylor.”

 

And Clara knew exactly what Ben meant. Taylor was a sensitive but bright child. He loved everything with all his heart, even his big brother who would often get on his case. He wouldn’t be able to stomach the loss of another Mazzello. The day Murphy dies is the day that the world will standstill. 

 

“I will stay quiet, Papa. You have my word.” Clara leaned in once more and Ben reciprocated, the two so in-tune that they knew exactly their next moves, coming in close so that their foreheads were touching. There was something indescribable about their connections. And in the back of Ben and perhaps even Clara’s mind, they had hoped that the same indescribable connection could be born from this little one. If only.

  
  
  


**5 Months**

 

Ben thought nothing of the feeling. For almost two days. Ben had become used to not hitting practically any of the milestones with this one. The fact that Ben had surpassed the five-month mark was a miracle in Gwilym’s eyes. And also in Ben’s.

 

Joe did not say much. He felt like he couldn’t. Ben was keeping the child, dealing with the severe sickness (mostly vomiting at least once a day and only being able to stomach two meals a day, even now) and taking the shots and such. Joe immersed himself with work. He couldn’t stomach seeing Ben like this but he had to keep his husband happy enough and his family sane.

 

What Joe didn’t expect to see one afternoon was Ben running on set. Joe thought the worst. Then again, if it was the worst, why would Ben be here? Why would he be running? He rarely runs or does anything anymore. He stays home most of the time, being so domestic and so careful about every little thing. The bastard even learned how to cook Italian food a bit more properly. Not that he will ever amount to Joe’s level of expertise but he got better. Nevertheless, having Ben show up was a huge surprise which meant it had to be something. Perhaps something good for once. 

 

“Hey, Ben. What are you doing here?” Joe accepted a tentative hug from his husband before they released, a soft smile placed on Ben’s lips. Even though he still looked far weaker than he ever did before this pregnancy, there was a glow now to him. And he looked right now, relieved.

 

“I-I think it kicked. Honest. Come here.” Ben peered from left to right to see an exit. A covering so that he could share this moment with his husband and not have the world gossip about these two male carriers having a fifth child. 

 

Ben found a spot behind the catering tables. A makeshift dressing room, if you will, and brought the ginger inside. Ben lifted his shirt swiftly, bringing Joe’s hand to the hardened spot. At first, Ben thought the kick was normal indigestion he was experiencing from the pregnancy. But then the feeling moved around the stomach. And sometimes pushed against one stomach and stayed there for a while. Right now, it felt as if the little one was pushing against his stomach, not kicking but stretching up against the wall.

 

A wave of relief finally hit Joe too. There was so much pent up. He felt guilty for getting Ben into this ordeal in the first place after the Oscars. He felt frustrated that geriatric male pregnancies were worse than females. He felt on-edge that one day, Ben would begin to bleed out and the baby would be another unfortunate statistic. 

 

The men knew that this didn’t mean that they were in the clear. Gwilym clarified that the baby could be fine up to delivery and born still. Lifeless. But this pattern of a hand or a foot against Ben’s stomach was enough to relieve some of the whirlwind of emotions that the 40-year-old men were being dealt with.

 

“I think we are going to be okay,” Ben admitted. Joe didn’t say a thing. He continued to use his hand to scan Ben’s stomach for life. And he smiled again. He matched Ben’s hopeful little grin, hoping for the little girl or guy to swim to the other side and make another splash. Anything was better than the last few months of sickness and silence.  

  
  
  


**6 Months**  

 

Ben was at the end of his second trimester. The little one was moving a bit more by every passing day, though this nothing, absolutely nothing compared to JJ’s movements almost a decade ago. Perhaps this one would be just more relaxed by nature. Ben hoped it wasn’t because the baby wasn’t so behind, developmentally. He was still taking his medications. He had signed off on another project, stating that he needs time off. He promised himself that he wasn’t going to be working his ass off in the third trimester. He was going to focus on his children and this child to be. That was that.

 

Yet he still didn’t let the other three kids of his knowledge that he was expecting. Yes, he was a bit larger in the midsection but his frequent use of hoodies nowadays covered any signs that he was expecting. Of course, Clara knew but she had been good for the last two months. And Ben wasn’t feeling so sick. He even gained back a little weight in other places, aside from his stomach where the baby was growing. 

 

But he still took his shots. And it was during a night injection that JJ burst into the room. He just had to show Daddy and Papa one of his new moves for the dance recital less than a month away.

 

Joe became unfazed by Ben’s nightly routine. He didn’t want to look while he did it but he let him do his thing. It was the only time now that anyone, even Joe, shows Ben without a shirt. That was another thing. He swore off being shirtless, even around the house, and sex was off the table, as it could induce labor if Ben bottomed or creating stress on the baby’s little body if Ben thrust too hard. Needless to say, Joe and Ben had their fair share of spats nowadays because they were pent up, in more ways than one.

 

Ben had just finished the shot when JJ busts in, Clara not to far behind, trying to block him from entering. She knew. But it was too late.

 

“What’s going on?” The young boy questioned, seeing a shirtless Papa with a stomach that looked more like a man with a tiny beer belly and a used needle on the nightstand.

 

“Papa. Daddy. I’m sorry. He was so excited about the news. He got the lead he’s been waiting for and I tried to convince him to tell you in the morning.” Clara classified, practically out of breath.

 

“There was no tie on the door and I was too excited to sleep.” JJ clarified, proving that he was just following the rules. “I wanted them to know, though now I am confused. What’s going on?” 

 

Ben was about to open his mouth when Clara continued to cover for him. She knew as well as he did that JJ was also not one to fall for lies. And also, it was hard to come up with a fib when Ben so clearly looked expecting at this moment.

 

“Papa is having a baby again.”

 

“Again?” JJ asked, not even skipping a beat. “But why was Clara trying to keep me from coming in and seeing you like this? You know I’m okay with babies.” And that was true, for the most part. JJ had his days when he wished no one else but he existed. 

 

He had the dramatic nature of his Daddy but the looks and stubbornness as his Papa. He was a bit cockier than Ben and Joe ever were and the older men still had no idea where that came from. Perhaps it was from hanging around too much at the Malek household. Who knows.

 

Either way, Ben and Joe brought JJ to the bed and explained the situation. He agreed to be silent, though it was difficult, mostly on the account that Taylor would be non-stop about if he knew now. Keeping it from the twins was going to be even harder since the oldest knew but it was for the best.  

  
  
  
  


**7 Months**

 

Ben would never openly admit that any of his children were ‘problem children’ as so many professionals liked to label them. JJ had his jealousy issues here and there and the twins could be rather reckless, but they were kids. Children. There were no problems for them to face there. 

 

At least until he began to notice the little things. 

 

With his time off of work, Ben was home more often, allowing him to see things he hadn’t noticed prior. He had been so worked up over the impending birth of their next child, he had begun to blind himself to the little things around him, such as Daisy’s behavior. 

 

Daisy had always been a wonderful shit. She was outspoken but quiet. Fierce, but gentle. She didn’t like the limelight the way Clara and JJ did and found comfort in sitting alone in her garden or spending time with her twin. 

 

Daisy and Taylor had always been close. Incredibly so. And when Taylor’s career had begun to take off, Daisy was there for him every step of the way. And when Daisy’s interest in gardening had become more apparent, Taylor was never afraid to get his hands dirty if it meant pulling out weeds so his sister's flowers could flourish. 

 

They were there for each other when nobody else was and both Ben and Joe were extremely happy about that. Except when it was revealed just how far Daisy was willing to go to protect her brother. 

 

Taylor had always been a very soft child. Very happy-go-lucky. He just wanted to make people happy and Joe numerously stated he didn’t believe that his youngest had a single selfish bone in his body. 

 

This, unfortunately, made him out to be an incredibly easy target. 

 

Bullies relished on the idea of picking on the young boy, which was a true shame as Taylor had been nothing but kind to them. 

 

Daisy didn’t take this lying down and decided to take matters into her hand by repeatedly attacking each person who dared to speak harshly to her brother. Joe and Ben had been to the school a time or two to talk about this and for a while, it seemed to go very quiet.

 

At least until Ben discovered the twins hadn’t gone to school as previously expected. Ben would normally walk them to their public school and pick them up, though Daisy had reassured Ben that they could walk together from now on. 

 

It seemed fine and Ben was uncomfortable enough so any leisure was good in his eyes. He stayed in the home office that he and Joe shared and did some work from home. It lasted over a week until Ben got a call from the school informing them that the twins would need to return to school soon enough.

 

Ben was thoroughly confused and the principal explained that despite there being a written note of absence in Joe’s name, the children couldn’t continue to skip out on school.

 

Confused, Ben went to Daisy’s room to find her there, sitting on her bed reading. This was not a conversation he hoped to have and when Joe arrived home later that day, they ended up speaking to the twins to find out what exactly was going on. 

 

“Forging a signature is a crime. Are you aware of that? No, you’re not. Because you’re skipping out on important lessons that would teach you that.” Joe told them sternly. “Which one of you signed my name on the document?” 

 

The twins exchanged a look before Taylor raised his hand. Joe sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I knew I shouldn’t have taught you to have a signature.” He muttered quietly. 

 

“Why are you skipping school and coming home?” Ben asked carefully. “This has gone on for nine days. Did you think it would last?” 

 

“It was worth a try,” Taylor muttered quietly. 

 

“You can’t just skip in school, especially repeatedly.” Ben extended. 

 

“It’s all bullshit anyway,” Daisy commented, promoting both her parents to tell her to watch her language. “It’s the same stupid lessons and the same stupid kids. Nothing new for us and the kids are assholes!” 

 

“So you wanted to avoid them? Daisy, if another student is being cruel, you have to tell a teacher.”

 

“We have!” She insisted. “The teachers don’t do anything! They have so much other stuff to worry about. They just turn a blind eye and ignore it.” 

 

“I doubt that is true.” 

 

“Do you think I am lying!?” 

 

Joe stepped forward, holding his hand out between his husband and youngest daughter. “All right, let’s just breathe, okay? Daisy, if this was going on, why didn’t you come to us instead of taking matters into your own hands?” 

 

“We’ve tried,” Taylor replied. “You get called down because Daisy is always fighting with them. Last time, she gave Dylan McFarland a bloody nose.”

 

“That’s why you got into the fight?” Ben asked, remembering the conversation he had with the principle. “Daisy, you know the violence of any kind if not acceptable in this house.” 

 

“See! That is the problem! I got my phone taken away for fighting, but you didn’t even ask why I did it! You just sent me to my room and forgot about it.”

 

“What did this Dylan kid do that make you hit him?” Joe questioned. 

 

“He pushed Taylor into the lockers and called him bad names,” Daisy replied. “All they do is shove him around and say mean things to us. They call you bad names too.” 

 

“Like what?” 

 

“Just bad stuff!” Taylor insisted. 

 

“They call him a faggot like his father,” Daisy replied. “Taylor didn’t even know what that means! JJ had to tell him about it and that just upset JJ more and then he started being a jerk again and then that’s why I got into the argument with JJ and then Papa sent me to my room _again_. All because you two don’t see how bad it is!” 

 

“All right, all right. Just calm down. Look, tomorrow your dad and I will go to school-”

 

“NO!” Daisy screamed, causing both Ben and Joe to jump back. “Talking to them doesn’t do anything! All it will do is make the bullies angrier!” 

 

“You have to go to school, Day. You can’t just quit. You’re right.” Joe reminded her. 

 

“Why can’t we go to a private school like Billie and Tom?” Daisy demanded. 

 

It was true they had talked about it over the years but found no real point in it. The school was at school. Clara had to be pulled due to her career and JJ had gotten into a dance academy, excluding them both from the narrative, but the twins were just regular kids. Public school seemed perfectly fine for them both. 

 

“If that is what you want, then we’ll discuss switching you two over next year, but you still have three months left of this school year to focus on.” 

 

“We’re not going back,” Daisy told them.

 

“You’re certainly not dropping out,” Ben replied.

 

“Homeschool us.” She suggested.

 

“Daisy,” Ben sighed, rubbing his face. A roll of pain came over him and he lurched forward just ever so slightly. “Enough of this! You’re going to school and that is final.” 

 

“Why can’t we just be homeschooled?” 

 

“Because I said so! You’re my bloody children and you’re not going to quit school because things aren’t going out.” 

 

Daisy jumped up to her seat, turning to face Joe this time. “When Clara wanted to stop doing ballet, you let her! When JJ didn’t want to do baseball anymore, you let him stop. Why is this any different?” 

 

“Because it is school, Daisy.” Ben insisted. 

 

“Shut _up_ , I am talking to _Daddy_ , not _you_!” 

 

“Daisy sweetie, it’s all right,” Joe spoke gently. “Honey, we just want what is best for you. Come on, come here. Look, Papa and I will do what we can okay but you can’t just stop going.” 

 

“Just get us a tutor!” She begged quietly, her voice was strained. 

 

“I’ll go to school!” Taylor said aloud. “I’ll go! I won’t let those other kids bother me. We’ll go and we’ll finish. It’s only for three months. I can do three more months.” 

 

“No!” Daisy shouted, shoving herself away from Joe and back over to her brother. “We’re not going! If you try to make us go, we’ll run away!” 

 

“And where will you go?” Ben demanded. 

 

“Anywhere! We’ll go to Grandmas or Aunt Lucy’s. Anywhere but here!” 

 

“Stop this now, Daisy,” Ben spoke warningly. 

 

“No, you stop!” Daisy cried. Ben watched as hot tears poured down his daughter's face. 

 

Daisy had always been the strongest of all his children. The one that was always in check with her emotions. She didn’t let anything get to her because how could she? So much was going on around her. She was the designated middle child and she took on that role the best as she could. 

 

And here she was, crying out in anguish, in pain, and all Ben could do was watch as she crumbled before him. 

 

“If you make us go, we’ll run away. We’ll run away and never come back and it will be all your fault. You’ll be the worst Papa in the whole world.” 

 

“Daisy!” 

 

Daisy took hold of her brother’s hand and pulled him out of the room, leaving Ben and Joe alone in their office. The latter sighed deeply, going to lean back against his desk. 

 

“Well, that didn’t go as planned.” He muttered, but his husband didn’t reply. 

 

Ben had never really listened when his kids said terrible things. They said them out of childishness and immaturity, but here, at this moment, Ben felt those words. He felt every single thing Daisy was saying; felt the fire from her words hit into him like bullets from a gun. And he knew she meant it. And now he had to live with that. 

 

Ben did not speak for the rest of the night. Ben and Joe let the twins be, agreeing that they’d wait until morning to have a chat. The role of pain that Ben had experienced earlier during the fight with Daisy came again. And again. Ben wasn’t sure where to place it. It didn’t feel like labor pains. He experienced Baxton Hicks and Joe went into far too much detail about his experience with labor pains. And it wasn’t the pain he felt in the early months of his pregnancy. It was difficult and he couldn’t pinpoint it. 

 

Perhaps it was due to the stress of it all with Daisy. Daisy was his baby girl. She looked up to Ben and he knew it. Now she didn’t trust him. I didn’t want to be with him. Even said she’d run away, even if it was an empty threat or that the farthest she could go was down the street or take an Uber to Billie’s house. 

 

Either way, Ben brushed it off as stress pains, not bothering to tell Joe for the rest of the night. The role of pain did not stop in the morning but still, Ben decided to keep it to himself. He watched as Joe went off to work and the kids to school, though he had a feeling that Daisy may make her way back home with Taylor soon enough. 

 

It was an hour after school when Ben pulled Clara off to the side for a moment. The pain was almost unbearable now and Ben knew what it all meant. But he didn’t want to believe it. He was in the middle of his seventh month. It was still too early. No. This isn’t happening. So he refused to call 9-1-1. Instead, he instructed Clara to watch the kids as he went into the bathroom.

 

When Joe returned almost two hours later, Ben was still in the bathroom. Clara had been told by Ben that he was having pains but to not be alarmed if he stayed to himself in his bedroom or bathroom. The pain would be over soon enough.

 

“Clar-bear. Where’s Papa?”

 

“Bathroom. Said he was having some pains.”

 

“How long has he been in there?”

 

Clara shrugged, “Don’t know. At least more than an hour. He said it was normal though.”

 

Joe cursed under his breath. This can’t be good. Joe makes a b-line to their bedroom bathroom door, “Babe. Ben. Benny. You okay in there?” Silence.  “You’ve been in there for a long time.” Still silence. “I’m coming in.” Please don’t let this be the worst-case scenario. 

 

Joe called over to Clara right before opening up the door, asking her to call 911. If Ben was listening, he would not be happy to hear Joe calling. But he could not fight his way out of his daughter calling for him.

 

So Clara did as she was told and called 911. Joe took a step back, then slammed against the locked door several times until it opened.

 

The sight was the worst-case scenario. There Ben was, in the bathtub, half-naked, sweating profusely, bale as a ghost and blood swirling down the drain.

 

Joe leaped forward and scooped the blond into his arms. Ben felt into him like a ragdoll, in and out of consciousness. “Ben...Benny. We have to go to the hospital.”

 

Ben, even though his eyes were almost shut and his voice was barely above a whisper, he protested, “No…too early. Please, don’t.”

 

Joe refused Ben’s demands and before Ben could protest any longer, he passed out. Joe worked hard to clean him up and get him out of the bathroom and at least into the bedroom. Joe ran to Clara again and asked to take the twins to her room while he practically carried Ben to the front door to meet the ambulance.

 

Luckily, right as Ben and Joe were midway to the front of the house, emergency personnel came in and put Ben on a stretcher. Joe explained the situation as well as he could with as much information as he could piece together. It was all a blur. Clara was smart enough to text Uncle Gwilym and Joe made sure to ask Allen to watch over the kids for the rest of the night and perhaps the next day. 

 

Clara was old enough to watch the rest but it wasn’t fair to her and she had no cooking skills for dinner nor any meals the next morning. Allen was concerned, yet happy to help. And Gwilym was at the hospital, helping to admit Ben as soon as they stepped out of the back of the van.

 

Gwilym pulled Joe aside after quickly assessing Ben in the ER, “He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s bleeding out and it’s not clotting. I know this isn’t ideal but I’m going to do an emergency C-section. What do I have permission to do?”

 

Joe knew exactly what he meant. If it came down to it, should Gwilym try to save the baby as well as Ben or would Ben be the major focus and the baby a second priority.”

 

“Ben would never forgive me. Please...do whatever you can for Ben…and the baby.”

 

And with that, Gwilym was on the move, running to prep the OR room. Joe was left stranded in the emergency room until the nurses guided him to a waiting area on the delivery room floor.

 

It felt like an eternity before a word was heard. Joe was still in shock. He had seen his husband this sick before, but differently. Before it was mentally, his eyes glossed over and his mouth mute. This time, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his mouth was left ajar. He was lifeless in Joe’s arms and all he could imagine was that being the last image of him in the ginger’s mind. Lifeless. Was Ben going to get enough blood in time? Would the baby survive at twenty-seven weeks? Only time would tell. And right now, time was being a bitch.

 

Almost four hours later and Joe finally got a word. Ben was alive. And the baby too was alive. A nurse guided him to the NICU nursery where he was met with Gwilym. Gwilym guided the man to a new incubator, where a million and one tubes were being given to a being no better than the size of his hand. “He’s alive. But these first few hours are critical. I need a name.”

 

He. It was a boy. Another boy. To be frank, Joe and Ben didn’t have the heart to talk about names. Since most of the pregnancies were not planned, they didn’t spend much time on names. And with the uncertainty of this pregnancy, names were barely even a second thought. 

 

Joe remembered once, though, Ben thanking Gwilym in some way for all his work for this bundle. Joe loved Gwilym but didn’t want their son to be named after him. The middle name could work but what for a first name?

 

Joe peered a little more closely. He had little time, in case this child was not to make it. No baby should go nameless. Suddenly, Joe watched as the barely pink being scrunched his little face like Ben did whenever he was concentrating on something. Joe wanted to chuckle at how most of the Mazzellos looked so much like Ben but this facial expression was uncanny. 

 

And against Ben’s wishes to never name someone after a bastard like him, Joe made his choice, “Ben fought so hard for this little one. Benjamin. Benjamin Lee Mazzello.” The birth certificate was thrust into the ginger’s hands and Gwilym, indeed moved by the name given in the middle, gave Joe a long embrace before going to the nurses and replacing the “Baby Mazzello” with “Baby Ben.”

 

One hour turned into two. Two hours into three. And so on. Joe was eventually allowed to go into the recovery room to see Ben. The blond was still pale as all hell, but with the blood being given, he was slowly regaining strength. Gwilym told Joe not to be too alarmed. He was losing so much, he was put into an induced coma. Now it was up to Ben’s body to decide when his body would have enough strength to wake up.

 

The next morning came and went and Ben was still asleep. The breathing tube was taken out of Ben, though the tube for Baby Ben was still in. Gwilym said it would be a long while before the little one could breathe without the tube. But he survived the night and that it was all that mattered.

 

Ben finally woke up in the middle of Joe preparing a wet cloth for Ben’s forehead. “Hey, buddy.” Joe cooed softly. Ben’s initial expressing was soft, almost somber. His husband was thereupon waking. Then, like a slam of a car, Ben’s eyes widened and he realized where he was and why he was there. His jut forward, only to keep a searing pain in his abdomen. His flattened abdomen. Oh god, no. The blond who barely shed a tear began to softly weep, “I wasn’t strong enough. I would've...I could’ve…” 

 

Ben breathed in sharpling, Joe coming to immediately cup Ben’s face in his to stomach his panic. Any longer like this and Ben would revert to glossy eyes and a full-on attack. Joe couldn’t have that. Because Joe had better news. “He’s alive. He is. We have a son.”

 

“We do?” Ben placed his hands on top of Joe’s, inhaling sharply still.

 

“Yes.”

 

Ben’s weeping softened to a few tears, especially after Joe pulled out his phone, showing him the quick photos he could take of Baby Ben. Ben grumbled at the namesake but after Joe’s explanation, he accepted it reluctantly. 

 

In the evening, Ben was still nowhere near being able to get up and see Baby Ben but Joe took multiple trips between his husband and newborn son. Joe was in the middle of putting some of the pieces together between when Ben fainted and OR when Joe’s phone went off. Ben was still quite weak, so he didn’t give the blond any added stress. It was Allen. Still, he took the phone call outside the room. 

 

Joe took the call and Allen sounded frantic. Oh no. What could have happened at home? “Joe...Joseph. I’ve tried everything. I’ve assured her that Papa is okay but she won’t stop. I’ve never seen her like this.” Joe could hear cries in the background. And it wasn’t from his sons or oldest daughter. It was from the little lady who barely made a peep. She was sobbing.

 

“She thinks Ben going into the hospital is all her fault. That’s what she keeps repeating over and over again between sobs.”

 

Joe pursed his lips, trying to stop his heart from breaking. “One moment.” Joe poked his head through the recovery room door, “Ben...are you strong enough to have a chat with Daisy? She needs Papa.” Ben nodded with half-raised lids.

 

Joe requested Allen put the phone on Facetime. Even though Daisy tried to hide her face, Joe’s voice made her uncover from her hands. She babbled on about how Papa wouldn’t be so sick and in the hospital if it wasn’t for her. 

 

That she never was going to run away. That she loved Papa and Daddy so much. Joe reassured her that he knew that and Papa knew that. Slowly, he brought the phone back into the recovery room where Ben lay. Daisy could see how pale Ben was, which initially made her tear up even more but Ben raised a hand slowly to silence her worries, “Hey, my flower child. Papa is OK.”

 

“Papa, I didn’t mean any of it. I’m sorry I said I was going to run away. I wouldn’t do that. Never!” Joe observed his mini-me in the background rub her back and try anything to make her calm down. Usually, it was the opposite, but here Taylor was, being the reassuring (now big) brother.

 

“I know that. I know that, silly. You did not do this to me. Papa has been sick for a while. This was not you, baby girl.” Even though you could tell from the line that she didn’t believe him completely, it was a start and Ben and Daisy left the call with the two dry-eyed. 

 

Ben and Joe had rarely seen their flower child cry. And when she did, the whole world broke up with her. The pair knew the conversation was to continue again at some time but Ben had to recover first. Their newborn had to keep trucking along and come home. Then perhaps, open wounds at home could be healed and a new chapter would begin for them all - new schools, new siblings, a new way of life.

  
  
  
  


**Post-Birth - Weeks after Ben is released**

 

Joe walked into the hospital, a practiced smile upon his face as he passed all the familiar nurses. He had two cups of coffee in his hand. One for himself and one for his husband. He had gone home and returned routinely, leaving his husband behind. It wasn’t ideal but they made it work. 

 

At least until it didn’t. 

 

Four kids were a lot and while they were mostly old enough to take care of themselves, they still required both sets of parents. Joe did his best, with the help of their oldest, though he found that things weren’t going as smoothly without Ben by his side. 

 

They weren’t fighting or acting up. The twins were quiet and kept their room clean. JJ wasn’t being the little brat he tended to be, and Clara was, of course, filling the motherly role that their family would forever lack. 

 

Joe could do it. He was doing it. 

 

But he shouldn’t have to do it. 

 

They sat together, watching as their son slept in his incubator. They were chatting idling. Nothing impressive or exciting. Ben was keeping him updated on Benjamin's slow progression while Joe mentioned all he had missed at home. 

 

“You know I think the kids would like to see you.” He told Ben carefully. 

 

“You should bring them tomorrow.” The blond answered smoothly. “I’m sure he'd love to see them again. Is Clara coming tonight to read to him?” 

 

“Probably.” 

 

“It’s a good routine. Lee appreciates it.” Ben commented. 

 

“Lee? Still going by the middle name?” Joe asked with a smirk. 

 

“You know how I feel about him being named after me,” Ben replied and Joe left it at that. 

 

Joe sat back in his seat, just watching his husband. He seemed so unbothered by what was happening between them. Like he didn’t even notice what was wrong with the picture. 

 

“Ben, what are you doing?” He asked bluntly. 

 

“I’m sorry?” 

 

“You’re not a doctor. You’re not a nurse. You can hold him for barely an hour a day. We can’t even really feed him. Why are you here?” 

 

Ben’s green eyes widened, having come completely off by the question. “Are you mental?” He asked suddenly. “I’m here for our son.” 

 

“Our son that doesn’t even need us.” 

 

“Of course he needs me!” 

 

“But he doesn’t.” Joe laughed. It wasn’t bitter or mocking. It was ridiculous that they were even having this conversation. “You know who needs you? Our other four children, Ben. The ones at home that haven’t seen you outside of the hospital since Benjamin was born.” 

 

“I’ve seen them.” 

 

“Here! Inside the hospital. Ben, our kids shouldn’t have to come to a hospital to see their perfectly healthy father.” 

 

“They’re seeing their brother, who has to stay here. We can’t just leave him here alone.”

 

“The staff is here, Ben. Paid professionals who can properly look after him. They know what to do.” 

 

“So do I,” Ben replies. “I am his father. I am the only one who can care for him properly.” 

 

Joe sighed, shaking his head slowly. “Oh, Ben.” 

 

“How could you just abandon him?” Ben demanded.

 

“I’m not abandoning him, Ben.” 

 

“After all that he has been through. What kind of father are you?” 

 

“One that has four other kids to worry about!” Joe snapped. “Clara, and JJ, and Daisy, and Taylor. They need us, Ben. Benjamin has doctors and nurses and other volunteers. The other four have us. They have me and they need you.”

 

“What, you can’t care for them on your own?” 

 

“I shouldn’t have to! You should be there with me. Clara is going around, trying to take your place. JJ is being so sweet and gentle. Taylor is constantly apologizing for his existence. Daisy has barely spoken a word. Things aren’t right at home.”

 

“I can’t just leave him behind.” 

 

“You’re not leaving him.” Joe approached his husband carefully, taking his face gently in his hands. “I know this is hard for you. That seeing him like this is destroying you, but there is nothing we can do. We have to trust the professionals and focus on the kids that are already at home waiting for us.” 

 

Ben was struggling, trying to fight his husband's words. His first instinct was to stay and protect. To take care and offer himself, but even he had to realize that even he had his limits and he couldn’t do everything. Try as he might, Ben wasn't Superman. 

 

“I don’t want him to be alone tonight,” Ben muttered, his voice strained. 

 

“It’s a good thing I fit into your clothes then.” Joe joked, pulling Ben into him for a tight hug. 

 

He stayed another hour before Joe finally sent him off. Returning to the house was jarring. The last time he had been there left Ben feeling heavy and haunted. He showered in the bathroom where he last laid out cold and bleeding.

 

After changing and settling back into the home he knew so well, Ben tried to fall back into the routine that he and Joe made together. He began doing laundry and cleaning up the kitchen. There were no toys on the floor or any real mess that they had to worry about. The twins had gone back to school though Joe had begun looking into tutors. He spoke on the phone with one and found him to be a good fit for the twins. 

 

When the kids returned from school Ben was in the kitchen, working on dinner. No one noticed at first, expecting it to be Joe working away. They made his way to their rooms, except for Taylor who stopped in to grab a snack. 

 

“Oh sorry Papa,” He said, bumping into him. Taylor pauses, those hazel eyes bright as he locked in on who it was. “Papa? Papa!” The redhead flung himself to his father, hugging him tightly. “Papa your home!” 

 

“Papa?” Clara popped her head in, hurrying into the kitchen on seeing him. She hugged him tightly, making sure to avoid his stomach. “Why are you home? Where is daddy?”

 

“Is Benny here too?” Taylor asked. 

 

“Your dad stayed with your brother in the hospital. He’ll be home tomorrow and then we are going to work on a schedule until your baby brother can come to him.” Ben explained. “Why don’t you clean up and we’ll have dinner? I made the spaghetti.” 

 

“Did you make it because daddy isn’t here to judge you?” Taylor asked pointedly. 

 

“Yes. Now go clean up.” Ben shoves Taylor lightly out of the kitchen. 

 

Clara stepped back, looking at her father up and down slowly. “Are you all right? I’m sure coming back wasn’t easy.” 

 

“No. It wasn’t. But it’s where I am needed.” 

 

Clara stepped forward again, hugging him tightly. “I am glad you’re here.” 

 

Ben enjoyed the hug for a moment more before JJ slammed in beside him. “Papa! You’re here!” 

 

“I am, I am.” Ben laughed. “And so are you. Are you hungry?” 

 

“Yes! My dance instructor insists that I need protein to focus on my leaps.” 

 

“Ah right. Makes sense. We’ll go wash up. It’ll be finished in a moment.” 

 

Taylor slipped back into the kitchen, Murphy in hand. “Murphy is here but Daisy said she isn’t hungry.” 

 

“No? Lemme go see if I can fix that.” Ben slipped out of the kitchen, going up the stairs to knock on his daughter’s bedroom door. He found her on the bed, her nose stuffed inside one of her workbooks. “Hello, flower child,”

 

“Hi,” Daisy muttered softly. 

 

“We’re going to have dinner soon. Spaghetti. Not as good as your dad's but I think I did a good job with it.” 

 

“I’m all right.” She replies quietly, not looking up to him. 

 

Ben entered her room, going to sit on the edge of the bed. “I spoke to your tutor today. I was thinking you can Taylor could spend the rest of the week with me and then start your homeschooling on Monday.” 

 

“I don’t want a tutor.” She said simply. “I’m fine with the school.” 

 

“You are?” Ben questioned. “The kids are being nice?” Daisy hummed, keeping her eyes on her word. “Day, you put up quite a fight.”

 

“I said I’m fine. I have homework to do.” She said, focusing on her work. 

 

“Right. Well. Dinner is on the table whenever you’re hungry.” Ben spoke softly, waiting a moment for her to respond, but she never did. He left the room, giving his youngest daughter her space. 

 

He laid in bed later that night, his phone tucked against his ear as he spoke to his husband. “I didn’t realize things would be this bad.” He confessed.

 

“How you get why I was so desperate for you to return,” Joe admitted. “You can’t be surprised. Daisy has always stuck to herself but she looks up to you. Clara thinks she blames herself and she couldn’t be more wrong, but she’s stubborn. Wonder where she gets it from.” Joe paused, his voice changing as he spoke again. “Oh yes, I know,” 

 

“Is he all right?”

 

“Oh, he’s fine. We were playing chess before. He’s a bloody cheater just like you.” 

 

“Right. It’s his skill at chess that he gets from me and his inability to drink milk that he gets from you.” 

 

“Wouldn’t be surprised. He’s fine. They put a new hat on him. It’s cute. I’ll send a picture.” 

 

“When should I expect you home tomorrow?” 

 

“Late afternoon I think. Try to relax, all right?” 

 

“Impossible but I’ll put in the effort.”

 

“That’s my guy. We love you.” 

 

“And I love you.” Ben breathes, ending the call. 

 

He moved back onto the bed, sighing deeply as he settled. It was comfortable, unlike the cot he had been given at the hospital. It felt odd, sleeping there alone. He shifted repeatedly until finally, sleep took him over.  

 

It was midday when Ben had had enough of the silence between him and Daisy. Clara, JJ, and even Taylor were beside themselves to have Papa home. Ben had to stop all of them from being on top of him the entire morning as he made breakfast. Even their older beagle wouldn’t stop jumping all over him. 

 

Except for Daisy. 

 

She never came down. Sure, it was the weekend and she could stay in her room all day but she had yet to even come down to eat. Ben confided in Taylor and say it was that this was the new norm. Ben had to finally have that conversation.

 

He came into her room with her favorite midday snack. She muttered a thank you and went back to some Plant versus Zombie game on her phone. “We need to talk.”

 

Daisy shook her head, “No, we don’t. You are home, Papa, and that’s all that matters.”

 

Ben could tell he wasn’t welcome right by her side but he at least was allowed to the edge of her bed without her pulling away. Her eyes were still averted elsewhere. “What also matters is that my twins are happy.”

 

“We are happy. Enough.”

 

Ben shook his head, “Enough is not enough for me. It was my fault that I didn’t catch you and Taylor struggling in school. And it was my fault that I waited this long to come home to you.”

 

Daisy shrugged, gazing over at the behind and the rustling of the trees outside, “You were protecting the new baby.”

 

“Yes, well a father of multiple children has to care for all of them. And you and your brother mattered just as much as Benny.”

 

“I thought you didn’t come home because you never wanted to see me again.” Though small, water formed at the tips of her lids. Ben couldn’t help but come close and wrap an arm around her. Though she was still fighting to accept the love, she melted into it soon enough. 

 

“That is absurd. You are my baby girl. My flower child. No matter what you say or do, I will still love you.” The blond planted a soft kiss on her forehead, “And most of what you say or do is right, so I have to step up, most of the time, not you.” Ben chuckled at his admission and she followed with a light laugh.

 

“The tutors for you and your brother will start on Monday. You’ll still have to make the finals at the school but other than that, you’ll finish off the year with them and be enrolled in Billie and Taylor’s school by September.”

 

Daisy finally wrapped her arms around her Papa completely at the depth of his words. The two rested at this moment for quite a while before Daisy released herself every so slightly to gaze up at her father, “Papa, I’m so happy you are home.”

 

Ben gazed a thumb to wipe off the last, now happy tear from his daughter’s eyes, “And I too. I’m happy at home.”

 

**Benjamin Lee - 7 weeks old**

 

Two months. Almost two months of Joe and Ben going back and forth between home and hospital. It became routine and it got easier, especially after Joe knocked some sense into him and got him to finally come home and be a Papa to all his children.

 

Gwilym clarified that Baby Ben would have to be at the hospital for about the same time he would've still been pregnant. About a month into his stay and baby Ben was still fighting the good fight. He was so delicate but strong. Ben was able to hold him a few weeks after his birth, with tubes coming out from everywhere. It pained Ben to see his son like this but it kept him alive and that's all that mattered. Ben got to hold him first, skin to skin because it was so important for the baby's health. Joe was able to hold him a week later and his touch was just as effective. The little bundle began to wiggle and make a nose. He'd scrunch his face like Ben when he was working hard on a good poop or when he was trying to make out who was holding him or coming to visit. 

 

By six weeks, Baby Ben could tell who was Papa, Daddy, and the children. Clara came as much as she could. Allen or grandma brought the others when the nurses said it was OK. JJ didn't hesitate to hold Baby Ben and neither did Taylor. Daisy, still recovering from the spat between Papa and her, persisted on staying back. Throughout Baby Ben”s stay, Daisy never held him.

 

On the day of his arrival home, Ben was ready to change that. Daisy would be the first to hold Benny.

 

The rest of the crew crowded around Ben and Joe as the carrier was brought into the house. Clara was so used to holding Baby Ben by now that she was instructing the rest to make way. Ben chuckled at the sight of his children so needy. The baby had no idea what kind of baby he was getting himself into. 

 

Daisy hung off to the side, with a baby smile on her lips as the sight of the cutie. He was very cute. And it was even easier to see it with all the tubes taken off of him. His hair was a dirty blond, swirls at either side of his temple. He shared a lot of Ben's traits, like his hair, nose, and ears. But his smile. The shape and shine of his eyes. That was all Joe. Joe swore he was just another Mini-Ben but Ben knew better. 

 

Ben sat on the couch, resting the carrier on the floor and slowly taking the newborn out of it. He was almost two months but he still felt and weighed like a newborn. He still fits in newborn clothes. But that's what occurs when having a premie. 

 

“All of you. Get, get. The baby needs his space. One person at a time.” The children pleaded for them to be first, now in a whisper instead of a squeal.

 

Ben glanced over to daisy, who was sitting on a chair at the kitchen island, “Day, first. He's been asking about you all morning.”

 

The eight-year-old rolled her eyes, “He's a baby. He can't do that”

 

“I have five children. I can read minds.”

 

Daisy tried to say no but Joe gently went behind her, leading her ever so slightly to sit at the spot next to Ben on the couch. “I don't want to hurt him.”

 

Ben guided her arms to hold an infant properly. Once in place, she looked like a natural. Joe took a quick shot of the sight with his camera from behind Ben's shoulder. “You are a natural, day. Gentle, like you are with your flowers.”

 

“He feels so soft and light like one too.”

 

Ben nodded, noting how Daisy's eyes lit up as Baby Ben opened his eyes finally to take a good look at who was holding him. Daisy smiled down to him and suddenly, he smiled up at her. Ben and Joe could burst at the most beautiful sight.

 

Ben spoke up after basking in the picturesque moment between his youngest daughter and youngest son. “You know, you gave the most wonderful nicknames to all your flowers. And you know me. I'm not too keen on having a junior even though the baby is not a junior. Perhaps you can think of a nickname? All of you..what can we call him aside from Baby Ben?”

 

All the children went back and forth. Benny. BB for Baby Ben. Bentley, combining Ben and Lee. Just Lee. Ben Lee. And finally, Clara piped up at the same time as Daisy with the perfect nickname. “Benji?”

 

“I love that. Joseph, what do you think?”

 

Joe nodded in approval, “Yes, I like it too. Though I'm still calling him Baby Ben or Benny too. I love that he was named after you, Papa.”

 

“Yes, yes. You do that. But I think Benji is perfect. Just as JJ instead of Joseph the Third.”

 

Daisy spoke his new name as did the others, solidifying his place in the family. Daisy eventually gave Benji to the others, who held the bundle like delicate rose petals. 

 

The rest of the Mazzello clan hurried around then newest bundle, taking their turns holding him, and doting upon him. The boy had a rough road ahead of him, but both Joe and Ben were confident in their ability to take care of him. Joe pulled his husband away, letting their children have private time alone with their brother. 

  
  
  


**One year later**

  
  


“Now you’re sure this will work?” Ben asked, keeping a watchful eye on their youngest. He was seated on the floor beside Taylor, happily smacking his fingers against the Fisher-Price piano they had gotten him for his birthday. 

 

Despite the hardships that their youngest had faced upon entering this world, he seemed to flourish just fine, in all ways except one. 

 

He was a little . . . nearsighted. Well. Farsighted. All right, he was sighted in every way possible. And that was fine. Ben and Joe experienced bad eyesight with old age. Both wore reading glasses when the time called for it. 

 

The lack of 20/20 vision wasn’t a hardship on their family. 

 

So after a short little trip to the specialist, they received the glasses they so desperately required. They were more like goggles than anything else, but if they allowed their son to see, then that would be fine. 

 

“The doctor said these should be just fine. She said to come back in if we notice anything abnormal.” Joe commented, pulling the blue rubber banded glasses out of the box. “Hey, Benji. Look at daddy for a sec.” 

 

Joe knelt to the ground, pulling the piano away from his son so he could have his complete attention. The toddler whined, chubby fingers stretching out for the toy. 

 

“I wonder what he sees if his eyesight is so bad,” Taylor mused aloud. 

 

“Depression,” Clara replied somberly from the couch. A magazine that she was currently on the cover of crunched up in her hands. “He sees depression.” 

 

“Dark, Clara,” Ben commented. 

 

“All right, just hold on a second more, bud.” Joe pulled the glasses over Benji’s blond head, adjusting them ever so slightly until they were on properly. 

 

The toddler looked up and around, blinking wildly as a bright smile came over his face. 

 

Joe stood, holding his arms up triumphantly. “All right! Look at you.” 

 

“Dada!” Benji clapped, looking around and gasping. “Pa!” He pointed, seeing Ben across the way, even if Pa sounded more like Ba but he'd get there.

 

Joe moved to stand beside the couch, a smug smile on his face. “Looking good, Benji. Now come here! Come to, daddy!” 

 

This had always been their issue. Benji was quick to crawl, but he had trouble bumping into things. And when he began walking, they couldn’t be prouder, except for when he constantly slammed into every door available. 

 

Joe watched eagerly as Benji pushed himself to stand, his arms stretched out wild as he waddled forward, making a swift b-line for his father, only to turn at the last moment and go right to Clara, who lifted him onto her lap with ease. 

 

“Okay that hurt a bit, but he didn’t hit anything and that’s progress,” Joe announced, looking to his husband with a smile that Ben mirrored right back. 

 

“Since he can see, does this mean Benji and Murphy can race again?” 

 

“Sure, buddy.” 

 

Taylor pushed off the floor, scrambling to grab the turtle from his room. “All right!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. Please expect something new and exciting on New Year's Eve. We are busting our asses to get all chapters out by then. Pray to the dark Gods for us, please. 
> 
> Also please tell us down below what you think of this emotional rollercoaster.


	20. Tiny Dancer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years, Motherfuckers!

“Come on, champ! Hurry, hurry!” Joe called, tugging on his son’s hand as the crosswalk sign changed, allowing them to go. The crowd wasn’t excessively large but enough people coming and going that the man worried and he paused to scoop the boy into his arms so they could make it before the sign changed again. 

 

He held onto Benji the rest of the way, turning the corner and sliding in through the spinning doors of the office building. They had been spending the day together while Ben was away on location and the other kids were all at school. 

 

It was nice, just the two of them. Joe always tried to have a bit of private time with all his kids but he had to admit that sometimes Benji was pushed onto the back burner. But now Joe’s latest film had been released and he was given a bit of time to just hang out and be at home.

 

He and Benji have gone to the park and had lunch before he decided to stop by his office to switch out some scripts that he wanted to give Rami. Benji had never been to his office before and Joe took the time to show him around. The building itself magnificent and his level of the building was extraordinarily wonderful.

 

A large chandelier in the opening, dozens of paintings of movie posters (some of which Joe had even written and directed — humble brag) and a baby grand piano sitting off across from his assistant's desk. It was all mostly for decoration and aesthetic, but Joe liked it. Heading up, he gave Benji a quick tour, showing off the pictures of Papa and his siblings that Joe had hung up on walls. 

 

It was meant to be a quick trip, switching out the scripts he liked and ones he wanted to pass on but when his phone began to ring, his assistant called him on the overhead to tell him who it was. Plopping the boy down, Joe took a deep breath before answering it. 

 

He had never been a fan of the newest producer. They were always getting involved in things that they didn’t need to get involved in and Joe had no power in telling them to fuck off. He would love to but he had to keep his reputation clean; at least until another Oscar nomination came along. 

 

Joe had been on the phone for about fifteen minutes before he realized Benji was no longer sitting on the couch. He wasn’t anywhere in the office. Joe ended the call, leaving the pain in the ass producer in the dust as he sprinted out of his office in hopes of finding the boy.

 

He didn’t have to go very far. Benji was sitting at the piano, watching as Joe’s assistant played for him. He sighed with relief, glad to see the boy hadn’t run off and left the building entirely. 

 

His assistant apologized but he stopped her. So long as Benji was entertained, that was all that mattered. As she went back to her desk, Joe asked her to shoot an email over to the producer he had hung up on and schedule a meeting between the two. It was better to just handle things in person, especially if they were going to be difficult. 

 

When she asked when he wanted the meeting to be, Joe went to answer her but stopped, something catching his ear. He turned back to the piano, watching as Benji began playing, repeating the song that had been played for him moments ago. 

 

“Did you teach him that?” Joe asked.

 

“No, sir. He was curious about the piano so I just played whatever I could.” She explained carefully. 

 

Joe approached the boy, watching him for another moment before taking a seat beside him. 

 

“Where did you learn that, buddy?” He asked softly. 

 

“Watching,” Benji answered softly. 

 

“You . . . learned from watching?” 

 

Benji gave a simple nod, going back to playing a few of the keys. 

 

A few days later when Ben returned, he dragged his husband into their sitting room where he had placed the newest piano. They never had any instruments aside from Daisy’s drum kit that was settled in the corner of her room. 

 

“A piano? That’s a big surprise?” Ben asked curiously. “You haven’t played since you were kids. Or did you get lessons to surprise me?”

 

“Not me. Him.” 

 

“Hi, Papa!” Benji popped up from behind the piano, having to stand on the bench just to be seen. 

 

“Him? Our four-year-old?”

 

“Just . . . trust me okay? Benji! Play what I showed you yesterday.” Joe told him. 

 

Benji hopped down, playing the simple keynotes. Ben bobbed his head, impressed despite it being so easy. “Good job, Ji.” 

 

“And now play what we were doing earlier today,” Joe told him. 

 

Benji bobbed his head and went into the song that he and Joe had been practicing. _Heart and Soul_ had been one of Joe’s favorite songs to learn and it brought out a new swell of excitement and pride to have someone to play it with.

 

“Now that is lovely, Benji.” Ben applauded him eagerly. 

 

Joe hummed, going to take his phone out. “Benji, who is this?” He asked the young boy.

 

“Ummm an old guy!” He answered with a giggle. 

 

Joe showed the picture of Beethoven Van to Ben before going to click into the video on YouTube. It was _Für Elise_ , a lovely tune that Joe himself knew though had yet to learn to play. He played it for a moment, watching as the mechanics in Benji’s mind began turning. He looked back at the piano, just listening and looking at all the keys. 

 

“He’s good.” Ben agreed as Joe stopped the song. “Though getting a piano is a bit much for a hobby.” 

 

Both men turned as Benji began playing, mimicking the song perfectly to the point where Joe had stopped the video. Ben stares, his eyes widened as he looked over their son.

 

“Did I do something wrong?” Benji asked gently, confused by his Papa’s silence.

 

“Still a hobby?” Joe whispered to his husband. “You did awesome buddy!”

 

“You taught him that?” Ben demanded. 

 

Joe shook his head proudly. “Never. He heard it for the first time now.”

 

“Joe thats . . . come on that’s impossible.” Ben muttered quietly. 

 

“Not for him. Try it! This kid has a musical ear.” Joe proclaimed, going to sit beside the young boy at the piano bench. 

 

They tried it twice more, showing Benji different piano songs. One that he could have heard anywhere, maybe in a movie or at any of the nicer events the guys took him or. And then another, choosing to challenge him a bit by getting a piano cover of a pop song. It took him a few moments, as he looked over the keys and realized which played which note, but he got them both. 

 

By the end he was sucking up all the attention he was getting before running off to use the iPad to FaceTime Clara when she got out of school. 

 

Both men were left baffled and smiling like utter fools. “He’s a bloody genius.” Ben proposed. 

 

“That’s our boy right there.” Joe sighed smugly. 

 

“Hey, dad! I taught Murphy how to roll over!” Taylor shouted from upstairs. “Ah fuck. Hang on he’s stuck!”

 

Ben smirked, patting his husband on the back. “Technically, Benji is my boy. Yours is upstairs dealing with a turtle on his back.”

 

“Goddammit,” Joe muttered, leaving the piano bench so he could head up to Taylor’s room. “Taylor! What did we say about swearing?!”

 

👓

 

“All right, Benji! Five more minutes and then we’re moving onto the next scene!” 

 

“Okay, daddy!” 

 

Joe smiled brightly, looking over to Ben who was resting back in his chair, allowing the sun to settle upon his skin, tanning him ever so gently. 

 

Joe, ever the delicately skinned, remained mostly covered up and slathered with sunscreen. He insisted that it was his job as a director to not get burnt and his husband just bobbed his head along, agreeing with it all.

 

“Told you this would be a good idea,” Joe mentioned, almost smugly despite his husband never denying this. 

 

“He’s recreating an Elton John music video, where could you go wrong?” Ben mentioned, tilting his sunglasses down. “Jay! How’s it coming?” 

 

JJ turned to face his parents, strutting over easily through the sand. “We have what, four more scenes to do?” JJ questioned, looking to the man he was named after. “He’s doing well. He still has to work on a few of those kicks, but he’ll get it done.” 

 

“Not bad for a four-year-old,” Joe mentioned, looking down at the watch in his wrist. 

 

“When is he coming?” Ben questioned, pushing his sunglasses back up. 

 

“Any minute now actually.” Joe turned, watching as Benji and Clara continued with their sandcastle. 

 

They had taken a moment to rest, giving Benji a chance to play and have a bit of fun on the beach in between shoots. 

 

It had been Joe’s idea to create one of Elton John’s most iconic music videos. Their youngest had become more or less obsessed with the legend and nothing seemed more adorable than a pin-sized Elton John. 

 

JJ had agreed to come on and choreograph the entire thing, having memorized the whole video rather easily. Benji was a good sport, changing the costumes and glasses, working with the moves that his older brother was teaching him. 

 

While it was obvious that Benji didn’t have the acting bug the same way he or Taylor did, he didn’t fuss much about having to constantly stop or redo something. Ben suggested it was due to his pure musical talent and the knowledge that they were doing something Elton related. 

 

Benji had quickly become fascinated with the legendary singer. From his musical style to fashion style, the toddler wanted nothing more than to emulate everything about him, and Joe couldn’t be prouder. 

 

Joe whistled through his fingers when it was time to go carry on. Clara helped him stand and dust off the sand, adjusting the hat on his head as he got back to the makeshift set they had put together. 

 

They worked for another hour, finishing up with the final scene with the piano and the sunset. They had done it about sixteen times thus far, which was quite ridiculous since it was such a small scene, but it had to be a shot-for-shot remake, so they had to be precise. 

 

Benji paused his swaying and turned, panting as he adjusted his glasses so he could see properly. “How’d I do?” 

 

“I thought it was good,” Ben mentioned, turning his head to the man beside him. 

 

“Wonderful!” Elton proclaimed proudly, waving his margarita glass around with excitement. “Just wonderful!”

 

Benji clapped happily, jumping up and down in the sand. Joe shouted, calling cut and prompting his husband to stand from his seat and scoop up their youngest and tossing him into the air. Benji giggled wildly, curling into his arms. 

 

“That was perfect Elton, thank you,” Joe mentioned, coming over to shake his head. 

 

“I’ll be awaiting my Oscar, Mr. Mazzello,” Elton said playfully, patting Joe’s hand. 

 

“Ewton! Did you wike it? Do I really wike it?” Benji asked as Ben put him down, his little accent twisting the letters around ever so lightly. 

 

Leave it to Joe and Ben to have multiple children with multiple accents. 

 

Elton pulled Benji into him, hugging him closely. “I loved it. I couldn’t be prouder!” 

 

“All right. Should we call it quits and get some food?” 

 

“Donuts!” Benji insisted, tossing his arms into the air. 

 

“Yes, I do agree. Donuts are a must, Joseph.” 

 

“Donuts it is.” Joe agreed, grabbing the camera so they could leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please look out tomorrow for the next installment. We don't have very much left. Perhaps . . . 6/7 chapters? Christ, it's been a while ride.


	21. Kids in America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Even with this 2020 vision, I still have to wear glasses; what a bummer!

The five sat together in the car Clara had borrowed from her husband. Her own car was a bit too small for them all to fit in, a tad more flashy. The kind that was meant to be used to catch the attention of the other drivers, not for a small, growing family like she had. 

 

When her second youngest brother called and informed her that he had a bit of an issue, the family got together to handle it as a unit. After all, that’s how they were raised. They did things together, without judgment or annoyance. 

 

Okay, perhaps the last part — little untrue. 

 

“You are the _only_ bloody male carrier out of the _three_ of you. How could you be so _stupid!_?” She demanded her British accent sharper with her attitude. 

 

Out of all the Mazzello-Hardy children, only two had been blessed with their Papa’s homeland accent. The firstborn daughter (herself) and the final born son (Benji), something she and the younger lad took great pride in. 

 

Taylor shifted awkwardly in the middle bucket seat, his hands rubbing together as his older sister berated him. “I forgot, okay?” 

 

“How the _fuck_ do you forget something like that?” 

 

“I’ve only been with one person up to this point, Clara and it was a _girl_.” Taylor continued, rubbing his palms nervously against his knees. “I didn’t even plan on having sex with the guy. It just happened. I don’t even know if I’m bisexual. It just happened!” 

 

“What happened Tay, did you slip and fall on his dick?” JJ asked from the front seat, groaning when Clara hit him.

 

“I don’t need your sarcasm, all right? I’m going through enough right now.” Taylor mentioned, glaring across the way to his big brother who was still snickering at his retort. 

 

“Pregnancy or not Taylor, you have to use protection! You could have gotten an STD! Or worse.” 

 

“There’s something worse than an STD?” JJ questioned, cocking his head to his elder sister. 

 

Daisy once again let out a small snort. “Yeah, pregnancy.” 

 

Benji, who had been shoved to the back, pocked his head out suddenly. “Why am I here?” He questioned aloud. “I was in the middle of working on my symphony.”

 

“Because!” Clara snapped. “Taylor is our brother and we’re here to support him.” 

 

“He’s Ginny’s brother too, why isn’t she here for this?” Benji questioned. 

 

“Because Ginny is a literal child and shouldn’t be forced to bear this burden,” Daisy mentioned. 

 

“I’m a child! You didn’t even tell dad we were going out. I think this is kidnapping.” Benji commented before sitting back in his seat. 

 

“Fucking finally,” Clara sighed, making the turn into the 24/7 convenience store. She parked in the back, though there was no movement from the back seat. “Well. Go get it.” 

 

Taylor looked frozen, his hazel eyes widen. “I can’t.” He admitted, getting a resounding groan from inside the car. “I’m scared, okay!” 

 

“Taylor, just go and get it over with,” Daisy muttered from beside him. 

 

“What if it says I’m pregnant, huh? I’m not ready to be a father! What if this guy isn’t even a carrier? Maybe I’m just overreacting?” 

 

“You have to be sure, Taylor.” Clara insisted. “So it’s either you go in and buy the test or you go to the doctor and let them tell you.” 

 

“He should go to the doctor regardless.” Benji popped forward again, adjusting his glasses ever so slightly. “Just go see Uncle Gwilym in private. Not like he can tell Papa or dad. That’s patient/doctor confidentiality.” 

 

“Oh yeah, let him go to his ex-girlfriends father and say he might be pregnant.” Daisy rolled her eyes, reaching over to rub her twin’s back soothingly.

 

“Oh my god. If I’m pregnant . . . what do I do? Dad will kill me. I’ll have to get a back-alley abortion like in the fucking seventies.” 

 

“You won’t have to do anything of the sort, Tay. You have options now.” JJ insisted. 

 

Daisy raised her hand high. “I volunteer to push him down a flight of stairs.” 

 

Taylor looked to his twin, his hazel eyes wide and shimmering with possible tears. “You are being super mean right now and it needs to stop.” 

 

“All right, just go and get it, Taylor,” JJ ordered. 

 

The younger of the two looked away shyly. “Can you? Please?” 

 

“Oh yeah, let an openly gay man go get a pregnancy test. That’s not questionable.”

 

“Clara?” 

 

“Taylor, I’d do anything for you, but my face has to be on something in there. This isn’t a conversation I’d like to have with my husband.” 

 

“You’re the least recognizable out of all of us Taylor, just go and get it.” 

 

“The least? I still act, you know. I don’t even audition, I’m asked to take on roles.” Taylor snapped at his brother. 

 

“All right, now you’re just bragging,” JJ commented. 

 

“And to top it off, I have our father’s face. Do you understand the hell that will be brought upon me if people see me and think I am dad?” 

 

“Dad is in his sixties, Tay. You look a bit haggard, but you gotta give yourself some credit.” JJ mentioned with an eye roll. He looked back to Clara, shaking his head. “I don’t see why we couldn’t send your assistant out to do this. No one would have questioned her.” 

 

Once again, Benji popped his head out. “I’ll do it!”

 

All of them let out a sharp “NO!” At the same time.

 

“You are an innocent child, you shouldn’t even be here!” JJ shouted to him. 

 

“You forced me in the car.” Benji reminded him, his accent heavy as he settled alone. 

 

“Taylor, just go and get it!” 

 

“Here,” Daisy slammed a bag on his lap, the pregnancy test wrapped ever so carefully. 

 

It seemed amid their arguing, the younger female slipped out of the car and purchased the item without any of the others being away from her absence.

 

“Daisy! Someone could have seen you!” Clara shouted. 

 

“So? Unlike you people, my face isn’t plastered everywhere in this city. Also, as someone who has very little interest in sex, I don’t care if people think I got it on or not.” 

 

Taylor watched his twin for a moment, his face breaking out into a somber grin as he undid his seat belt to throw his arms around her. “Thank you,” He spoke carefully. 

 

Daisy paused, allowing the other redhead to have his moment. “You’re welcome. Now can we please get out of here so we can find out whether or not you’re going to be a father.” 

 

Taylor sighed and pulled his seatbelt back on just as Clara drove out of the parking lot and down the way, back towards JJ’s home as both Taylor and Daisy, along with Benji, lived at their father’s mansion. 

 

The older Mazzello children moved out long ago and had their own homes and families, while the twins remained with their parents and younger siblings as they had no real reason to move out just yet. 

 

“You should have bought him condoms too, Day,” JJ stated, leading them all sitting room. 

 

“Do I look like I know the size of his dick? We may have shared a womb, but we’re not that close.” Daisy commented, flopping back onto the couch. 

 

“Can we change the subject, please? Benji shouldn’t have to put up with our sex lives.” Clara commented, looking back to her little brother, who gave him a grin and a thumbs up from where he sat down beside Daisy. 

 

“Am I gonna have to do this every time I have sex? I’ll have to piss on a stick to make sure I didn’t accidentally get pregnant?” 

 

Clara paused, turning to look back to the middle son. “Taylor did you just ask…” 

 

The room was silent with the four siblings all staring down the red-headed male. “What?” Taylor asked innocently. 

 

“Okay, honest question right now: has anyone seen his degree?” Daisy asked suddenly. “Like, I know he said he got his doctorates but has anyone _seen_ it?”

 

Clara and JJ groaned, just as Taylor scurried off into the bathroom to take the test. It was certainly going to be a long night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Way, way, way back I had made a post saying that we'd never see the Mazzello kids older than seven because I didn't want them to take over the fic and push Joe and Ben out of the limelight. 
> 
> I regret to inform you that this will be happening from this point on. 
> 
> While they are missing from this specific chapter, the ones to follow will include each kids story and of course, their parents will be apart of it. 
> 
> We hope you enjoy it and please look for the next installment.


	22. I've Been Waiting For You (Clara's Chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we've reached the beginning of the end! I always said I'd never write the adult Mazzello children, but I was foolish to believe I wouldn't fall in love with these kids.

****

 

**Career**

 

Clara Josephine Mazzello starts her career when she’s a mere toddler, under the name Clara Hardy. It’s easier that way. More recognizable in the modeling world and Ben always found it far easier to use an alias while working as it kept his private life more private. 

 

Everybody knew who she was, there was no hiding that. After all, being the child of two male carriers was something of significance and allowed her to carry a bit more of a title. There was a pinch of uniqueness that she was able to cling into that not many other models could show off proudly. She wasn’t the only model that came from two carriers but was the only model that was born from a model. 

 

It started very simply. Her father was a Calvin Klein model, which meant he was married to the brand. He did their clothing and perfumes, underwear and colognes. When Joe and Ben decided that Clara had the look most talent agencies searched for, Ben took her under his wing and kept her on a tight leach, giving her chances to work under him on the same products. 

 

Calvin Klein wasn’t huge on children's clothing, but she became the face of it overnight and what a lovely face it was. Bright green eyes, strawberry blonde hair. Her features were a mix of Joe and Ben, though the former swore she took off solely after her Papa, though her dad had always been one to talk down about himself. 

 

She worked with CK for a good portion of her career, branching out only when she felt comfortable. As she got older and her father’s careers blossomed, Clara followed in suit, though Ben kept a tight grip on where she was allowed to go. 

 

She had walked in Paris, and Milan, and Berlin, and Sydney, and dozens of other cities all over the world, but never London. London had always been a goal of hers, as only the best of the best had been chosen. And despite the offer coming in year after year, Clara had always been forced to turn it down. 

 

The only time she didn’t ultimately cause a rip between her father and herself. One that would be amended later on, but having the words ‘I hate you’ slip from your lips is a harsh reality that neither Ben nor Joe knew how to face. 

 

She was seventeen and while she didn’t know everything in the world, Clara was wise enough to be able to make her own decisions. She had enough of missing out on golden opportunities due to her father’s hatred for his homeland. 

  
Clara had understood her father’s hesitance, but to be barred from a country all because of his own tragic pst was just too much for Clara to handle. She had tried to focus on the more important aspect and be respectable about approaching her father, but he got her down before she could even get the words out. 

 

Clara tried to be reasonable, honestly, she did. She wanted her fathers to support her in this, to see their little girl that was no longer a little walk across the London runway, but Ben refused. 

 

She had never fought with her father up to this moment. She had been their oldest born. The perfect daughter. The motherly figure to the rest of her siblings, and here she was, wanting to do something for herself for once and with a cold glance and sharp tongue, Ben crushed that chance in seconds. 

 

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Clara muttered to the man. “I can go there on my own. You can’t stop me.”

 

“I am the holder of your contract until you are eighteen.” Ben reminded him. “If you want to go against my wishes after that, go ahead, but until then, you do as I say.” 

 

“Or what?” 

 

“Or I liquidize your contract.” 

 

It wasn’t something Clara never thought she’d hear her father say. She knew it wouldn’t be the end of her career. She was a well-known model and another agency would be more than happy to take her own. 

 

But walking away from this would mean walking away from family, as her father had begun his agency not long ago. Hearing him say he would fire her all because she had a dream was the sharpest cut Clara had ever received. 

 

“There won’t be time next year.” Clara tried to reason with him. 

 

Her parents had been very adamant about her going to school, and while she’d be modeling as well, she had decided to cut back on most of the shows so she could focus on her work. It would be her last chance to do the thing she never got to do. 

 

And Ben didn’t seem to give a damn. 

 

“I hate you.” She told him and for once, she meant every word of it. 

 

Clara didn’t walk the runway in London when she was seventeen and after that, the shift between the two had never been the same. Clara resented her father in a way that she tried to bury down deep inside because it was for the best. 

 

He was only trying to protect her. And while it killed her to know that all this trouble was for her being selfish, she decided to swallow her pride and put her focus back onto the places. 

 

When the following year came, she attended UCLA for business marketing, finding that despite their differences, she wanted to follow her father’s footsteps and become more involved in the business aspect rather than just being a pretty face. 

 

She continued being the motherly figure for all her siblings, especially to young Benji who she was undoubtedly the closest with. She was the mother he never had and had been there from him since his early birth. 

 

Even as his little career had begun taking off, she was always right there despite living miles away. Deciding to dorm at the school was a decision that came from herself and Joe, realizing that a little space would be healthy for everyone. 

 

Joe had been on her side when Ben refused to allow her to go to London, as he also didn’t know why Ben held on so tightly to the beliefs. Of course, he loved his husband and would stand by him, but he loved his daughter too and wanted her to be happy. 

 

She and Benji faced time every day and she saw him as often as possible. It was less than an hour away with traffic, but the change of pace was healthy. She was able to go her own things and live her own life without someone constantly yelling or walking in. 

 

She stayed on campus and enjoyed college life, making friends and getting involved in any projects she could. She joined the GSA, wanting to promote same-sex marriage and being the child of two male carriers. More and more were coming out of the woodwork and she wanted those dealing with the ability to be proud of what they could create. 

 

She also joined the school's film club, which hosted a large film festival every year. She had taken Joe to be her guest, as well as Taylor before the panel finally asked if either would be interested in speaking at one of the showings. 

 

Clara never took offense when those around her wanted to get involved with her family and the connections she had to certain elements, such as Hollywood. It was apart of her life. She had been the child of a supermodel and award-nominated actor and as their careers continued, with Ben starting his own agency that skyrocketed in seconds and Joe winning his numerous awards, including an Oscar, Clara was well aware that people wanting to leech onto her would come with the territory. 

 

Joe ended up coming to the school to speak on two different occasions and Taylor came as a guest on a panel after they showed one of the films he performed in. 

 

School had become something of a second nature to Clara, though she found herself longing for more than just books and lessons. She wanted experiences. 

 

So when she turned nineteen, she found one being handed to her. She had been chosen for a program abroad and was allowed to choose three different cities to go to. Prague, Vienna, and London. Her original choice had been Vienna, as she had gone there a time or two while traveling with her parents, but it seemed Ben had other plans. 

 

After their spat years ago, he found that he never fully forgave himself from holding her back on things. They had gone to England as a family to celebrate Christmas with Uncle Allen’s mother, as she was getting older and didn’t seem to be doing very well in the death department. She was happy to go, even if it wasn’t for business and spent the majority of her time with her family as well as visiting a friend she had made through Benji’s career. 

 

It was here that Ben had confessed that he was going to open a branch for his agency. It would be small, but they needed someone to represent it. Someone who would be able to stay in London for at least a year just to give it a running start. 

 

Clara had been very armament about working and going to school, but her father reassured her that there wouldn’t be many runways. Just be the face of the company and assist them Ben had picked out for her. She could focus on her schooling simultaneously. 

 

Clara had been left speechless and in tears, knowing how hard this was for Ben, crossing over his own desires and worries to give Clara something she so desperately wanted and possibly even needed. 

 

She returned home and felt for England the following semester. It was hard for everyone as moving across the world is harder than just moving across the city. Joe hadn’t been happy with the decision but knew it was something Clara felt like she had to do, though it was Benji who took it the hardest. He didn’t know a life where he couldn’t just hop in the car and go see her. Now she was hours away, across the very sea, and it broke his little heart as well as Clara’s. 

 

Arriving in London hadn’t been that magical moment you see in movies. There was no amazing soundtrack to follow her around and while she hadn’t completely fallen on her ass, Clara found that she didn’t even really know what she was looking for. She merely wanted to experience things differently. 

 

Lucky for her, she knew enough people at the agency so she wasn’t completely on her own and the friend she had made through Benji was still there when she arrived. He was a photographer, of all things, and she took it upon herself to employ him at the agency, already knowing how talented he was. 

 

They were a very good team, the two of them, so it came to no surprise when things turned to the romantic side. Clara wasn’t looking for love, but she found it when she least expected it, just like her fathers had. 

 

It was the ideal situation working with her boyfriend and when the semester ended, Clara decided to stay in London to finish one final project. She, James, and a few other models made their way to Australia. She had been there before, though this time was different. 

 

The location was constantly changing, from Sydney to Brisbane, to the Great Victoria Desert, to Melbourne, and everything else in between. They were there on a passion project, one that was charitable and would bring certain aspects of the country to light. 

 

It had been an exciting project for Clara, as she was more hands-on this time around and got to work with all kinds of different people and animals. Modeling with a koala hadn’t been something she thought would be possible, but it happened and she was happy for it. 

 

The only downside had been getting viciously sick halfway through the program. Getting the flu and working through it was hard, but Clara had done it before, but this was more than just the flu. She had been hospitalized and quarantined, along with two other models. No one knew how they caught it, but it was not an ideal situation.

 

Especially since the day she had been admitted to the hospital, she found out she was pregnant. 

 

The whole ordeal was horrible for several reasons, but she handled it with grace and strength that had been instilled in her by her parents. After giving birth to her daughter, Clara took some time off from working and school, wanting to adjust to being back to the states and her motherhood. 

 

She might have lent a helping hand to her parents when it came to her siblings, but now she was doing it for the first time for real. James had been there every step of the way, as well as her other family, and it wasn’t long before Clara was back on her feet, returning to school and stepping back onto the runway. 

 

She graduated with a bachelor's in business marketing and toyed with the idea of getting her masters, but found it unnecessary with the things she had already achieved. It wasn’t long after that that Ben decided to step down from CEO of his agency, passing the title onto Clara if she wanted. 

 

And oh she wanted it very, very badly. 

 

The agency had been for modeling exclusively, and some of their biggest brand names were among Calvin Klein, ED by Ellen, and Versace, just to name a few, though Clara had always been a firm believer in never settling.

 

She had many plans for her future with the company. Big plans.

 

 

**Love Life**

 

The first person Clara Mazzello ever kissed at been a boy named Randell. He was in her fourth-grade class and was the nicest boy she had ever met. He was kind and gentle and played with her at recess. She kissed him on his tenth birthday. 

 

They didn’t start dating on account of him flipping out that he would end up getting cooties. It was odd, speaking to her parents about this as both Ben and Joe weren’t too keen on their nine-year-old just going around kissing people, but they handled it well. They explained that boys didn’t develop as quickly as girls, in both a mental and physical stage, so it was no surprise that Randell didn’t handle the situation with the same excitement she had. 

 

She had kissed another boy when she was just fifteen and on location. She didn’t care for dating and having a relationship with another model wasn’t something she thought would happen. They had walked the Milan runway and she attended one of the teen-friendly after parties. It was nice and she was sitting with her friends with the Italian boy who started chatting her up. 

 

Her father had warned her about boys like this. Tanned skin, pretty accent, and wandering hands. He kissed her, though nothing more about from it. Clara had many goals in her life and dating someone which such a hectic schedule had never been apart of that. Granted, she was fairly sure he had no intention of actually dating, but she was too young to get involved in such things. 

 

She had skipped out on prom, deciding to instead put her focus on helping Benji with his upcoming performance. Her parents weren’t happy about it, as they wanted her to have as normal as an upbringing as possible. However, her senior year had been the year that their relationship was as strenuous as ever and anything her parents suggested went right into the trash just to spite them. 

 

She was eighteen when she met James Ramone. He was twenty-one, a photographer hired to do all the professional photos during Benji’s first big concert. He’d be performing with Elton John, his idol, and the young boy had been going bonkers with nerves. 

 

Clara tried to calm him the best she could, sitting with him and reassuring him that he looked wonderful in his sparkly jacket and diamond glasses. 

 

James had been a big help, talking to Benji to get his mind off his nerves. 

 

James didn’t ask her out then, having dealt with a bit of confusion. You see, Benji had grown up calling Clara mummy, as that was just what he thought she was. Clara never stopped this and when he was having his little freakout, the title slipped out. 

 

“Your father, well Joseph, he was rushing about, helping the boy who kept calling him daddy. And then you were being called mommy. It also doesn’t help that your brother looks like you, and has the same lithe little accent.” James mentioned as they sat under the Christmas lights, their cups of hot cocoa in the square. 

 

“And the age difference didn’t confuse you at all?” 

 

“Wouldn’t have been the first model to marry an old rich man,” James mentioned with a shrug. 

 

Clara, rightfully disgusted, reassured him that she preferred her suitors to be far younger, around her age. 

 

She always counted that as their first date, already fully smitten with him from their first meeting. 

 

James was working in England, having gotten a nicely paying job for an art gala. It was nice, seeing the man again. Clara had never believed herself to have a type, but if she had to guess, chances were it was James. 

 

Very boyish with dark hair and eyes. He had a nose structure similar to her dad’s, but he was handsome nonetheless. He just had this lovely way around him that Clara just couldn’t describe. She knew those ‘good guy’ types were always made fun of, but since her father had been labeled a genuinely nice guy, it only made sense that she would end up falling for one. 

 

Her romance was James was quick, as well as the pregnancy that came to follow before they were even together a full year. It wasn’t planned, but they were happy. Well, once they were back from the hell in Australia and their daughter was born and healthy. Then they were happy. 

 

Her parents had been wary about James, but they felt that way towards any possible suitor. They didn’t want their little girl to get hurt, though they found it hard to hate on someone who caused so much joy for their little girl. 

 

It was Benji who loved James the most. He saw the older male as more of a friend, always wanting to play with him when he’d come around and visit. They had their Guy Time and James always made sure to make Benji feel like he wasn’t being left out of anything. 

 

Clara had witnessed love in the form of her parents, uncles, and aunt. Romantic love had never been a priority to her, but being able to have it. To touch it, experience it in the first person. Clara always knew she was a privileged person, but sometimes she wondered what she had done in a past life to be blessed with such a loving and understanding partner. 

 

Clara and James married shortly after returning to the states. London was lovely, but she missed her sunny California. Joe and Ben were more than happy to have them return and offered the lovely couple a new position at Ben’s agency, with Clara both modeling and handling the brands they would work with, and James becoming their lead photographer. 

 

Their wedding was on the beach on a breezy spring morning. All of her siblings were in the wedding party, with Benji taking the place of James’ best man, and Gemma and Ginny being the flower girls despite being only a few months old. 

 

Ben and Joe walked her down the aisle, both tearier eyed than anybody to see their little girl finally grown up. 

 

Their ceremony was as gorgeous as she could have ever imagined and Clara took a page out of her parent's book, using one of the many ABBA songs she had grown up with for their first dance. 

 

 

**Family**

 

Clara had always been very close to all the members of her family. 

 

There was no denying that she was Papa’s little girl, though she had her dad twisted around her finger in every sense of the word. She was their world from the moment she made her entrance, bringing a whole new world of joy and stress onto them. Neither knew what they were doing at the time, but it was worth the trouble. 

 

It was worth everything. 

 

And when her parents decided to continue with the family line, she was buzzing like a bumblebee at the very idea of being a big sister. 

 

As she few older, she found herself having very unique relationships with all her siblings. 

 

First came JJ, the oldest male of the family. She had adored him from the moment he came into this world and they had done practically everything together for the first few years. While their relationship had been somewhat strained during their teen-hood, there was no denying her love for her younger brother. She stood by him through all his hardships and proved how proud she was when he finally came to terms with who he was.

 

After that came Daisy, her first sister. Where Clara was bubbly and bright, Daisy was quiet and sometimes rough around the edges. Opposites in nearly every way, but there had never been a time when either could say a cruel word about the other. Clara understood Daisy’s request to stay out of the limelight and always made sure that the redhead never felt out of the loop when it came to their family. They had always remained close and told one another everything, having a very good relationship as they grew older. 

 

Next came Taylor, the lovable goof of the family. Where JJ found their younger brother to be annoying, Clara adored the way he held himself together. While he mostly clung to their father, Clara spent a lot of time with the younger redhead, always visiting him while he was on his sets or involving him in any of her film projects at school. Much like Clara, Taylor had a bright personality that many had tried to squander, though rarely did he allow it to get to him.

 

After that came Benji, the sibling that Clara was closest to in a whole different way. She had taken it upon herself to be the sort of surrogate mother to Benji, always looking after him and bringing him onto the set with her whenever he got the chance. When the little lad had come home calling her ‘mummy’ Clara never bothered to correct him and instead decided that it would be more exciting to be just that to him. And it was thanks to him and his talent that she met the love of her life. 

 

The final sibling was the one she never expected to have: Ginny. It had been odd, returning home after over a year with very little contact to find out her parents had adopted an infant. Of course, the motherly instincts were still strong (especially since she was already a mother by this point) and Clara took the child on without hesitation, though not with the same amount of intensity as she had with Benji. The twenty-year age gap had never bothered either of them and Clara treated Ginny with the same amount of love and respect as she had her other siblings. 

 

Clara did not put up with the bullshit that her siblings had sometimes brought onto themselves and stayed close with each of them despite their obvious differences.

 

It was her children that had own Clara’s heart after her siblings had all grown up. The first one had been somewhat of a surprise, much to the dismay of herself and James. 

 

It seemed Clara carried much as her father had for his first pregnancy; very little sickness with a very slim figure. Clara had been the small signs to be connected with possibly having the flu that had been going around and ignored any chance to get early treatment. 

 

She was too far along to terminate the pregnancy, though that wouldn’t have been a choice for her. The doctor informed her they could perform a medical abortion if the illness attacks the fetus, though it seemed to instead be going after Clara herself. 

 

It had been a rough few weeks, with very little interaction with anyone other than the hospital staff. James had been gracious enough to contact her family, just so they were away, though they kept the pregnancy aspect out of the fear of risking anything. 

 

After about two months, she had been cleared and discharged, sent back to jolly old London only to give birth within a week later.

 

Clara knew how to handle an early birth, thanks to raising her brother, so she didn’t lose her mind or fear the worst. And when her daughter was old enough to leave the hospital and travel, she and James packed their bags and returned to America where they married shortly after. 

 

It had been something of a surprise to Ben and Joe to know that they suddenly had their daughter back, and now a granddaughter on top of it, but they welcomed them back with open arms. 

 

They had named the daughter Gemma, a wordplay of “Jamin” named after both her father and brother. 

 

Their second child, much like her brother JJ, had been planned and was given the name Josephine, though it caused lots of trouble for herself and her brother, as JJ had planned on naming his own firstborn after himself and their father. Clara merely shrugged, reminding him that her daughter wasn’t a junior and could be called whatever she pleased. 

 

Her final baby wasn’t planned in the least but had been a pleasant surprise for herself and James. Another little girl to dote upon, carrying the lovely title of Ally, named after her great uncle Allen, who of course had always been Clara’s favorite person in the entire universe. 

 

Three little beauties, tall with dark hair like their father and bright eyes like their mother, and while they wore the name Ramone like a badge of honor, there was no denying their lineage and relation to the Mazzello clan. 

 

 

**Legacy**

 

Being the child of two male carriers had always been a big deal with Clara. She was proud of where she had come from and the men that had raised her. Any bad glance or harsh look had never been worth her trouble. 

 

She didn’t have time to argue with the haters and instead put her focus on shining a light on the issue of ignorance in the male carrier community. She didn’t want the world to continue ignoring their existence or act as if though they did not matter. 

 

They had rights, they had feelings. They were people and those with the ability should be allowed to use it for whatever they wanted. 

 

With her Uncle Gwilym’s help, Clara becomes the welcome ambassador to the MCA, Male Carriers of America. Of course, most people were a bit put off by a woman running such an organization, though she had more than enough credentials to be able to hold her own. 

 

Upon her retirement from modeling, she also put out her clothing line that was specifically designed all body types called Carry On. She stayed true to the belief that every person was beautiful and should be allowed to dress that way without feeling put out or having to break the bank.

 

She was proud of the work she had done and passed her ambitions down to her daughters who took her place at the agency upon her retirement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Face claims chosen:
> 
> Adult Clara: Lily James 
> 
> James Ransome: James Ransone 
> 
> Coming up: JJ's Chapter
> 
> Please feel free to hit us up on my Tumblr (wroteyourownlifestory) or twitter (AmyleeDeacon) because I honestly love answering all of your questions!


	23. Tiny Dancer (JJ's Chapter)

**_Tiny Dancer - JJ’s Chapter_ **

 

**Career**

 

Joseph Francis Mazzello IV or “JJ” was a natural-born dancer. In the womb, his Papa would refer to him as his “tiny dancer.” Outside of the womb, he was wiggling, rolling, crawling, bopping, walking far before his other siblings, when their baby milestones came along. He felt alive when he danced, even if there was no music at all, just a simple beat to tap his toes too.

 

However, as a child, and being the first Mazzello boy in the family, his Dad had other plans. Baseball. Now, it was not his father’s fault. His daughter loved to watch baseball with her father. She even joined a softball team, briefly after retiring from tap class and before her modeling career took off. He loved baseball as a kid. He still was a die-hard Yankee fan. If he was such a fan of the sport, why not his son? Why would it be bad to get his son into Little League and show that the Mazzellos still had it on the field? Sadly, it wasn’t in the cards for Joe’s namesake. JJ was miserable on the field.

 

JJ is still thankful for that fateful day when his Papa brought him along to pick up Clara from dance class and JJ just got up, went to the bar, and followed the moves of the other dances as best as his little toddler feet could. 

 

Papa had a conversation with Dad after witnessing such a talented little guy and luckily his Dad could see how the thought of getting back on the field brought tears to JJ’s eyes. It wasn’t traumatizing. The other team players were nice. But he had no interest in running, throwing or hitting a stupid ball around a field. He felt he was far more useful on stage where his body could be the poetry to music. Where he could lose himself completely and let the melody take him far away from the shit of the world.

 

By the age of seven, he was attending dance competitions. His father made sure to travel with him to every event, even if it was difficult with four children. Thankfully, the family was privileged enough to split their time and money spent on trips to other state competitions. If it wasn’t his Dad, it was his Papa and if it wasn’t his Papa, it was one of his dancing friend’s families who would be willing to let him carpool to the next event.

 

Even though there were very few boys, so sometimes JJ stuck out like a sore thumb, it never bothered the other parents when JJ tagged along. Of course, JJ wouldn’t attend a sleepover and be in the same room as the girls but he didn’t mind. He’d stay to himself and text his best friend, Jude, who was back home, doing stupid math homework or telling him a brand new tale about his father’s clumsiness. JJ would often remind Jude that he was also accident-prone but Jude was soon to correct him and say that it was nowhere near as accident-prone as his other sibling, Lennon, though seemed to be in a new cast or brace every other week.

 

Needless to say, JJ was good at what he did. And everybody knew it. By the time he graduated from high school, he was on his way to attend a college or university that was the best fit for a professional dancer like him. And yes, even before entering university, he considered himself a professional. Try to tell all his first place dancing competition awards otherwise.

 

It was a difficult pill for his dads to swallow when JJ decided to move to New York for school. Juilliard was his dream, as it is for many dancers. In the back of his mind, he knew he would always come back home. That’s where his family was. That’s where his boyfriend’s family was. But he felt that he needed a break from the house of 5+. Also, going to New York was a great opportunity to test his basic living skills. He went around the west coast (most of the time) for his dance competition. Even though he was born in New York, he was in LA by the time he went to Kindergarten. He felt that it was only natural to go back to his home tuff for something. And since he started dancing in New York, why not make his official mark there as well?

 

After a few whines, grunts and pleads to stay (mostly by Dad), JJ was 18 and off to Julliard. It wasn’t always easy, since so many other dancers looked, walked, talked like him. How was it hard to be unique when everyone around you wants the same thing? Sometimes it felt like a dog-eat-dog world out there but with the support of his boyfriend (at the time) and his Can-Do attitude (mostly adopted from his Papa), JJ made a name for himself. 

 

Now, he had made a name for himself early on when he first started dance competition. He didn’t want to be called “The Fourth” or simply go by JJ. Kind of like Elton John, he grabbed a name from someone else (Jude) and pasted it as his own. JJ Malek had far more of a ring to it than JJ the Fourth or Joseph/Joe/Joey Mazzello. There were a few raised eyebrows from the family when he first announced the name change at the age of ten but down the line, the name made a whole lot more sense - in more ways than just a stage name.

 

**Love Life**

 

JJ’s road to love was short. Not that it was short because he didn’t love or have someone to love. He meant that the figurative love was short because it was a dead end. He knew the love of his life from the time he was an infant.

 

There had always been some speculation about JJ’s connection to Rami Malek’s son, Jude. The two of them were attached at the hip. They were born mere months of each other. They could bond over the fact that they had annoying sisters and that their parents were weird as heck.

 

The girls got there time for sleepovers with his older sister and JJ found a sleepover partner in Jude. Granted, Jude was over his house far more than his twin sisters were over to see Clara but that was because Jude was cooler than his siblings, in addition to the fact that Clara was three years older than Lennon and Eleanor. 

JJ began to have different feelings for Jude right at the start of middle school. There was no denying they were best friends. They laughed constantly about the stupidest movies, games, and music. And they had so many inside jokes that the other kids could clearly never understand. But there was something more than JJ felt for Jude that he couldn’t initially put his finger on. Less platonic. More intimate feelings.

 

JJ was initially ashamed of these feelings. Jude was his best friend. How could he be so selfish and have feelings for someone who just wanted to have a platonic relationship? Or so JJ thought. Jude never said anything about wanting to be more than best friends with JJ. And Jude tells him everything. If he had feelings for JJ, he’d tell him...right?

 

Well, no. Jude wasn’t scared to come out and tell him that the feelings were mutual. When JJ finally went out with Jude to Friendly’s to tell him about his felt something more than friendship with Jude, the dark-haired male cocked his head to the side, gave a soft smile and said that he thought they were already in a relationship.

 

JJ was flabbergasted. He thought they were already in a relationship. How? The times they held hands were strict to protect each other during scary movies. Other times, it was to show Jude some dance numbers that he’d been missing. Or perhaps, all the small touches and smiles the males exchanged were beyond friendship but the petit, dirty blond was too afraid to see what was right in front of him.

 

It was after this dinner that JJ made sure that he knew he was Jude’s boyfriend too. He wouldn’t go overboard but he’d finally hold his end of the bargain and finally admit that he was in love with his best friends, that they were officially an item and that Joseph Frances Mazzello the Fourth was gay. 

 

Being the child of two male carriers didn’t cause too much rip in the Mazzello household when JJ came out. JJ finally coming out stopped a lot of tension that was happening in the house. Admittedly, he was being an asshole because as a middle schooler, he high-key cared far too much about how others in his class saw him. How would it look if you are the son of two men and you were gay? JJ feared that it would perpetuate the belief that being gay was poisonous and that poison tainted JJ’s blood as a young man so that he too was going straight to hell.

 

In reality, his dads smacked some sense out of him when he came out. One, who cares what other people think about you. Be out and proud, damn. And two, his dads weren’t even that gay, to begin with. Ben always made sure to tell JJ that he loved the person, not what was between the legs. Joe was a raging bisexual and so JJ being a full-homo was something that Ben and Joe knew nothing about. Good on him actually for never having the desire to touch a breast or two. 

 

Rami butted into that conversation since he never needed an invitation to come over to the Mazzello household and Jude was already there as Ben and Joe sat with their now, openly proud gay son. “Better stick with the boys. Women are too complicated.” Que Clara waltzing in and slapping her uncle with a rolled-up newspaper for his anti-feminism. 

 

After high school, Jude joined JJ to Julliard. Jude was not a dancer like his boyfriend but he supported his endeavors wholeheartedly. Jude was far more into writing as well as sketches. Eventually, Jude would go on to publish several poetry books with sketches of bodies (mostly dancer bodies). Jude would watch his boyfriend on stage and be inspired to create another piece. A particular movement seemed to easily come out as scripture for the dark-haired male.

 

It was sometime after graduating from Juilliard and moving back to LA that JJ decided to propose to Jude. It was obvious that if they could spend their childhood together without killing one another, that they could spend the rest of their lives with each other. Sure, they were each other first and would be each other's last but hell, if you find it early, what’s the sense of getting rid of it for what? A thrill that most people say will leave you alone, depressed and probably with an STD.

 

Their wedding was planned by Jude’s sisters, mostly, with Jude giving a suggestion here or there. JJ was amid some serious dancing offers for plays, commercials, etc. so he left it to the Malek's to make his special day perfect.

 

And it was perfect. Everyone was emotional, even when JJ did a dance number (as everyone expected he would). It was a face-paced number turned into a slow, where he eventually pulled Jude into. Jude didn’t know the moves. It was JJ’s surprise dance for him, not with him. The groom duet dance was for later in the night when drinks were already taken and Jude could relax when he strutted his (decent enough) moves on the dancefloor. 

 

Similar to Clara’s wedding, JJ split the song, dancing half the time with Joe and the other half with Ben. Lucy was crying when JJ was dancing with his father and even more so when she finally got to dance with her baby boy.  

 

Speaking of baby boys, JJ made it clear to his wedding goers that he couldn’t give the world a honeymoon baby. Unlike his dads, he didn’t carry the gene for male carriers and nor did Jude. But, he did make a promise that the Joseph Frances namesake would not end with the fourth. Sadly, the Star Wars jokes about being the fourth would end with him.

 

**Family**

 

It wasn’t that JJ hated his siblings. He loved his siblings. But they were annoyed. Even though he grew out of the middle child syndrome (not of his own free will), he still felt like the middle child. 

 

No one else shared his love of dancing, or more, no one shared his love and talent for professional dancing. His dad had the moves for sure but he would never make it at Julliard. Clara had taken after his Papa as a model and his younger brother got the acting bug from his Dad. He was stuck in the middle of it. Clara didn’t take any of his shit. If he bitched about life, Clara rolled her eyes and told him to go on TikTok and rant about it. And he did. He would often find solace in his social media pages. If he wanted to be known professionally as young as possible, he had to have pages and followers. His TikTok was the most popular. He’s a vent on there or shows a new dance move or number when his younger brother was being annoying. His younger sister was like his older sister - didn’t take any of his shit. Taylor, on the other hand, was a lot easier to mess with. He was an easy target. Looking back, JJ was an asshole to his younger brother. Taylor was already going through so much shit for being such a nice, impressionable boy and also being a somewhat dweeby celeb for his dual-role in Jurassic Park 3 that carried a pet turtle everywhere he went.

 

But JJ was also going through his shit. Now, it doesn't excuse him from being an ass to his younger brother but messing around with Taylor was an escape from admitting his feelings for Jude and finally coming out. You’d think it would be so easy to come out - especially to his two dads and in CA of all states but JJ was still scared. He didn’t want to lose Jude as a best friend if he didn’t reciprocate and he also didn’t want the world thinking that his fathers were intentionally making their sons gay. There were already rumors about whether or not Taylor also liked boys but when anyone asked, Taylor attempt that he liked turtles more than people. Even as an adult, with a wife and kids, Taylor will still admit that turtles (as well as dinosaurs) are better than people.

 

Thanks to his father's slapping some sense into him, JJ finally came out and started dating Jude. They dated throughout high school and moved into a small NYC apartment when JJ attended Julliard. By the time he was out of college, he was one of six. The oldest Mazzello boy.

 

Speaking of baby boys, JJ was so close to beating his sister to the punch. Of course, his sister had to get up and leave and go get pregnant by the age of 20. JJ couldn’t compete with that. And he also couldn’t get himself nor Jude pregnant. But the blond was sure that he could find a surrogate (which ended up being Jude’s sister, Eleanor) before Clara had baby number two. But bastard older sister came around with Josephine before Eleanor could announce that the IVF had worked and she was now carrying a child biologically Jude and JJ’s. JJ wanted to rip his sister a new one about how dare she takes the “Joe” title but the female blond shoved him and said that he had no right to say a thing because Josephine is her middle name, dipshit. Thankfully, Eleanor revealed that JJ and Jude were having a boy and Joseph Frances Mazzello the Fifth came into the world, carrying JJ’s cheekbones and eyes and Jude’s slightly darker complexion and jet-black, slightly curly locks.

 

Liking the three year age difference between him and his older sister, their second child made his debut a few years later. JJ also had to plead with his younger sister, Daisy, to help him out. Eleanor took the role of a surrogate with no qualms at all. Daisy, on the other hand, laughed in his face. She loved her older brother but she wouldn't be caught dead carrying a child, let alone the child of her brother’s husband. Nope. 

 

They finally made a deal to hire a surrogate but use Daisy’s egg. Daisy said that she cared little for those eggs anyways. She had her adopted little gal and that was just fine with her. Ironically, she would be in an all-out bitch fit little over five years when she fell pregnant by her husband. Asshole gave me Stockholm syndrome, she mumbled as she stood in the Mazzello living room, announcing it to the rest of the clan. Her husband rolled his eyes and Jasmine was clapping widely, loving the idea of being a big sister. JJ the Fifth giggled and told his Daddy show silly Aunt Day was being. 

 

Julian Said Mazzello was born almost exactly three years after JJ5. Creative as they were, they were terrible with names and there were only so many ways of using the names of his dads differently. As prideful as he was, Rami didn't want to have a child after him, so Julian was given his grandfather’s middle. Julian was after Juilliard, the college of JJ’s dreams and what truly sprung his career to be as successful as it was as an adult. Yes, not that creative for a dancer and a poet but it fit him to a tee. Also, the second Mazzello clan liked the idea of all Js. Why not keep the trend going with their second offspring?

 

And so with two children, a house on the outskirts of Hollywood and a dog who looked awful like JJ’s first family dog, Frankie, named Franklin, life was good.

 

**Legacy**

 

If JJ had to sum up his life, he'd say he was known for his work on stage. Of course, he was a loving husband and father to his boys but to those who weren't in his home, they'd say his performances on stage (as well as his social media presence, which only grew stronger when he got his older, his fathers continuing to have kids and then he started having kids of his own).

 

He continued to dance as long as his body would let him. Luckily, he had his Dad’s lankier body but the stamina of his Papa. He finally retired from the stage in his mid-40s, focusing on opening his studio. His studio had to be inclusive to everyone. All colors, ages, sexualities, genders, disabilities were welcome. For example, only when he went to Julliard that he had classes with more than two male students per class. He wanted boys to be welcome. And welcome in every class. From hip-hop to jazz to lyrical to ballet. 

 

Since his sister became the president of the Male Carriers of America, he also was the first dance studio to have a yoga class where women and male carriers were welcome. Mommy and me were no longer Mommy and me but Baby and Me. Male carrier daddies or non-male carrier daddies were welcome to exercise and be with their newborns. 

 

He also created a YouTube channel dedicated to showing some of the greatest performances from himself or from his students to music and even some to the poetry of his husband (which were often a mix of dancers and his husband’s soft, slow and warm voice describing anything from love of war to depression abs everything in between. Such performances were so well received that his husband eventually began to travel across the United States and Canada. His biggest gig was his TedxTalk and he will never let his husband forget it. You might own a dance studio but I have my talk on the TedxTalk page, he'd say for a solid month after the gig.

 

Randomly the page grew even more national attention when a dance number of a male carrier with a pregnant woman went viral. Needless to say, more rooms in the studio had to be open and eventually, the strict dance studio would branch out, and a recreational center was built around the medium-sized studio in West Hollywood. Any kind of family could enter and talk, or dance, or paint, or sing, but most of all, to be welcome. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prodigal son has had his time. 
> 
> Next week: Daisy 
> 
> Faceclaims: 
> 
> JJ: Youth Pastor Ryan (from TikTok) 
> 
> Jude: Mena Massoud


	24. Daisy Jane (Daisy's Chapter)

** Career  **

 

Daisy Meadows Mazzello had never been a fan of the limelight. By God she tried to stay out of it, always talking her way out of red carpets and award shows. Sure, sometimes she’d grind her teeth and put up with it to make her parents happy, but if she had it her way she’d never be near another camera. 

 

Unlike her siblings, she had never wanted to be famous. JJ lived for it, just as her parents had. Clara was the prim and proper model that her parents practically hand designed and her little brothers were crafted to become masters of their craft. 

 

Daisy wasn’t like that and she never wanted to be. 

 

Did she have the looks to be a model or attitude to be an actress? Yes, and yes, but she didn’t have the drive for any of it. She preferred to spend her time out in her garden, away from the nosey world that wanted to watch her burn like an ant under a microscope. 

 

It was the garden that she had found her calling, so when the time came for her to choose a career, she went with what was easiest. She went to school for botany, getting a job at a relatively popular florist. 

 

It was hard, due to the obvious connections she had with those around her. Sure, she got a very nice deal on some stargazer lilies for her brother's wedding, but aside from that, she didn’t like to mix business with family. 

 

She didn’t want to be the connection that brought the shop's name to the forefront because her parents decided to use the place and tweet about it. She didn’t want to be hired just because she was the daughter of an Oscar winner. She wanted her existence to mean something and for a good while, it seemed like it did. 

 

But then she got older and life continued going on and on with very little change. She didn’t care much about it, deciding it was just easier to carry on with the way things were going. 

 

But when you see those around you changing and moving on and you’re still stuck in the same place, it a bit disheartening. 

 

She had confessed to her father about this, a rare moment of clarity that Daisy allowed herself to have only to have her father laugh right in her face. 

 

“You’re 27. You have a hell of a lot more than I did at 27, Day.” 

 

It wasn’t an age thing or maybe it was. By her age, all her siblings were married. They had children. And while she had been apart of one of those children being around, she didn’t exactly do much work other than lying on a table and letting them remove some eggs from her. 

 

Even her own fucking twin was out achieving goals and living his life and Daisy was left trying to piece together the shatters of her life that hadn’t even been shattered, to begin with. 

 

She had mentioned it to Taylor, the one person she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down for. He was supportive as he possibly could be. If she was unhappy, go find a way to be happy. It sounded easy, but Daisy knew nothing worthwhile in life was easy. 

 

She continued to circle around in her own little rut until finally, she got a call that had some promise to it. It seemed the land that their family owns all the way in Italy was being sought after by a buyer. Joe’s name was on it, though he didn’t go there enough to decide whether or not they could keep it. 

 

He passed it onto Daisy, hoping that going out and seeing the countryside would wake something in her and make her feel like she was doing something right. 

 

So off to Italy she went, quitting her florist job along the way. It was hard, saying goodbye, though she wasn’t confident in the possibility of her being gone forever. 

 

It was hard at first. How could it not be? She may have been on family land, but she had no family around her. 

 

Well, not exactly. 

 

Daisy was only there for a few days when she realized that Thomas Lee was also living in Italy. It had been years since she last saw him, so it was a bit of a shock when he turned up one afternoon while she was in town. 

 

It wasn’t ideal or at least not at first until Daisy came to realize that the best thing to do for herself was to throw herself into something new and exciting. And that happened to be wine. 

 

Her family had always been lovers of the drink and it seemed to run in their family as on the land that she had been living on had previously been used to make their own wine. 

 

And she had to admit, it was good shit. Very good. And to her admission, the possibility of extending that lease and turning it into something of business was tempting. 

 

Daisy wasn’t sure how it would work out for her. For all, she knew it was another mess that would blow up in her face, but she had an eager little demon on her shoulder pressuring her into doing something wild and unexpected. 

 

She never planned to take Tom as her business partner, but he was good with the people and good with the numbers. While Daisy was busy getting herself a license, Tom was working with the people on the land to clean it up and make it happen. 

 

It was scary at first. Literally in the middle of Italy with a winery. What if people didn’t like the flavor? What if it wasn’t what they hoped it would be? 

 

Daisy had admitted her fears to her father only to be told that failure wasn’t something for her to worry about. She had the whole world in her hands. It wasn’t a competition. If it didn’t work out, then she’d move on from that. 

 

Luckily, she didn’t have to start over. It was a hit. Who would have suspected? 

 

Meadows, as she had named it, quickly became a fan favorite around the town and when things seemed to work in her favor, she sent some down in her family. Clara adored it and requested more while JJ had been using it as his own house wine whenever he and Jude would throw parties. 

 

Daisy had found her thing and was happy with it, but she knew she couldn’t stay in Italy forever. If she wanted to branch out, she had to move back to the states and make it a more well-known brand. It was a hard choice, but she did what she had to do, bringing her partner back with her. 

 

** Love Life **

 

Daisy had no intention of falling in love. 

 

She always believed that her brain wasn’t wired correctly. She didn’t find the attraction to people the same way her family did. She wasn’t gay or straight. She wasn’t anything really. She tried to force it onto herself, bringing home a guy in high school and then losing her virginity in college. 

 

She thought men were handsome and women were pretty, but there was never anybody that ever caught her eye in a way that made sense to her. 

 

And then there was Tom. 

 

She had known the guy since she was a child, growing up with him and Billie along with Taylor. Thomas Lee had always been a thorn in her absolute side. When they found one another in Italy, Daisy’s first thought was to smack the hell out of him for not speaking to his family since he had been deployed years ago. 

 

He had joined the army after getting into a bit of trouble with the law and had been sent to Italy on location. Daisy knew from his sister that his time with the army was finished, but he just never bothered to come back. 

 

It wasn’t until a few days after their reunion did she ever find out why. 

 

Daisy never intended on settling down with someone, especially someone with a child, but she’d be damned if she didn’t find him appealing. 

 

“I know your secret,” Daisy mentioned to him one night. They sat outside the villa, listening to the crashing of the water below. 

 

“Well, obviously,” Tom commented, sipping at his glass. 

 

“Not that one,” Daisy replied, causing Tom to pause. 

 

Daisy didn’t spend a very large portion of her life being best friends with Billie to not know the truth about why Tom left. 

 

Having a drug-addicted mother had always been hard on both of them, even if they were mostly raised by their adopted father’s. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree however and it seemed one of the children grew up to have a few issues with perceptions. 

 

Tom had gotten involved with their school's local dealer and had admitted to purchasing Adderall under the table. With any hopes of college being squandered unless his parents donated to a school, Tom decided to go into the army instead. 

 

“She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,” Tom admitted quietly. “Does Taylor know?” 

 

“Maybe. He hasn’t anything to me, but after marriage and children, I can’t imagine her keeping it from him.” Daisy commented, finishing her own glass. “Why did you do it? Take the fall for her?” 

 

“She was a smart girl who made a dumb decision. She had her scholarship. I couldn’t let her risk that.” Tom admitted, placing his empty glass on the table. “Besides, is there anything you wouldn’t do for your siblings? Anything you wouldn’t do to protect them?” 

 

Perhaps it was that theory that opposites attract or perhaps it was her finally coming to realize her own demisexuality, but falling into bed with her business partner happened faster than Daisy expected.

 

At first, she tried to deny it. She didn’t want to mix business with pleasure, especially since she literally abandoned her other career to be able to come here and do this. She didn’t want to fall flat on her face and have her heartbroken all the same. 

 

Tom, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with whatever they had going on.

 

“You know how they say boys like to annoy girls because they like them?” Tom mentioned one night after dinner. “I annoyed you not because I liked you, but because it was just so damn fun.” 

 

“Oh fuck you.” 

 

“I have! And I want to again!” Tom laughed. 

 

Daisy was fucked in every possible way. She was kicking herself mentally and refusing to admit that this was nothing more than sexual urges finally awaking inside of her. 

 

That lasted for about two weeks before she finally came to realize that she actually cared about the moron. Perhaps it was jealousy over other women with their pretty faces and tan skin checking him out while he walked through the vineyard without his shirt on. Perhaps it was the brat inside of her that didn’t like people touching her things. 

 

Whatever it was, Daisy laid her claim onto him soon after their conversation and Tom made it very clear he had no intention of letting her forget it. 

 

They married not long after returning to America. It had been a small ceremony, with their nieces and nephews filling up most of the wedding party excluding Billie and Taylor taking the place of Best Woman and Man of Honor respectively. 

 

Her wedding dress wasn’t very traditional, having been pieced together by Clara herself during a trial run for her own designs, but Daisy loved it endlessly. 

 

They got married in Italy, where they found one another again and where Joe and Ben had eagerly told Daisy she had been created. The redhead wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. 

 

** Family **

 

Despite not thinking she’d get married, Daisy was incredibly sure she’d never had children. When her older brother had asked her to be the egg donor for him and his husband to have a child, she put up a bit of a fight just for some fun, but she agreed almost immediately. However, she had no intention of ever actually carrying the child. 

 

Why would she want to? She witnessed her dads and her sister and her brother dealing with the troubles of pregnancy, why the actual fuck would she want to do that? 

 

And then along came Tom and with Tom came the prettiest little girl in the whole bloody world. No one expected Tom to be a father, so when they found one another in Italy and the man revealed he hadn’t returned home because of a secret child, Daisy was rather shocked. 

 

It seemed during his final days of duty he had met a woman who was a tad more friendly than Tom anticipated. 

 

“Turned out she worked on the red light and I was just a bit more handsome than some of the other men who paid her a visit.” 

 

“Leave it to you to get a prostitute pregnant,” Daisy mentioned, not even remotely surprised by this action. 

 

Due to their mother's drug abuse while pregnant with them, neither Billie or Tom had thought they’d have a chance to have children. So when the woman of the night admitted to Tom that she was carrying his child and the blood test came back positive, well Tom couldn’t very well abandon it. 

 

“As it turned out, she wasn’t very keen on motherhood. She had her for about a week and then tossed her at my feet like she was a bag of noodles.” Tom had confessed, gesturing to his daughter who was sitting on the floor among the sea of toys. He had full custody and the mother wasn’t little to nothing to do with her. “I’m not too upset by it. She’s pretty as a flower and got her namesake from it.” 

 

“I can’t believe you named her that.”

 

“Jasmine happens to be my sister’s favorite Disney princess, you brat.” Tom laughed easily. “Besides, I thought you would like the floral title. Daisy.” 

 

Daisy flipped him off after that, though she found herself absolutely in love with the little girl. It was quick to see that step-motherhood would become her calling card, though she never referred to herself as that. 

 

From the moment Daisy and Tom decided to be together, Daisy claimed Jasmine as her own. She was a bit put off by him not telling his family that he had the child, to begin with, especially since she was about to turn two, but he blamed it on not wanting to travel with a toddler and well, never being very good with communication. 

 

Eventually, they did return back to the states and revealed the child to their families, she continued to swear that Jasmine was hers and they quietly had Daisy adopted the toddler to make it legal.

 

And that was it. They were their own little family for nearly two years until one night when a celebration went a little too far. They took home the DWWA, something Daisy didn’t even think was possible for them to do. She grew up in an incredibly successful family, each of which had multiple trophies and certificates to show off and here she was, joining them finally. 

 

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree however and Daisy allowed herself a little too much to drink post celebration. A month later she got the results back and the girl who never wanted to get pregnant was holding the positive test right in her hand. 

 

Tom was supportive, insisting that he was very happy with the life they had and if she didn’t want to go through with it, then he’d stand by her. 

 

He could be an annoying bastard at times, but there was no denying that he loved Daisy with his whole heart. And while Daisy never pictures herself as a mother, there was also no denying that she adored Jasmine as much as one could. 

 

Biology or not, Jasmine was hers. Legally. Literally. So to have another child wouldn’t make things any less bearable. Having a biological child wouldn’t change how she felt towards the toddler that cried her name when she was sick and held her hands when they walked through the vineyard. 

 

They had the time and money. Aside from her own self worries, there was no reason to not go through with it and even then, the worries weren’t all that troublesome. At the end of the day, the choice was all Daisy’s but she is damned if she allowed all that self-inflicted bullshit to make her over. 

 

Pregnancy wasn’t ideal, but she handled it well enough, especially on account of Tom allowed her to put the blame solely on him. It took two people to make it happen and while he was immature enough to point out that she was on top the night the child was made, he grinned and smirked, allowing her to verbally abuse him if it meant getting through it. 

 

Daisy knew she was being dramatic all the way until she was informed by the doctors that she’d be carrying twins. 

 

After that, it was full-on bullshit. 

 

She was carrying wide and low, and her back hurt most often than anything. She had strange cravings all the time and throwing up more often than not. Tom was supportive, as always, though he found himself being rather smug most of the time and always made sure to remind Daisy that twins ran on  _ her _  side of the family, not his. 

 

She swore to never have sex with him again and he took it in stride, reminding her that he had multiple living and breathing proofs that he did, in fact, have sex with her and that was enough for him. 

 

Just like her younger brother, she had been blessed with one boy and one girl, each of who was the most gorgeous sight she had ever seen. 

 

The naming of the twins had been rather hard since Daisy absolutely hated the idea of having more formal children in her life. She had grown up resenting her parents for making everything flower related even if it did work in her favor career-wise. 

 

Her own brother had given his daughter a floral name in her honor, though she’d be damned if she followed in suit. 

 

They had been given dozens of suggestions from friends and family, with the leading favorite being Pamela simply because Ginny found it overly hilarious that they were Tom and Daisy, like from Great Gatsby. 

 

Daisy quickly shut that down and swore that they wouldn’t be naming their children after anyone. 

 

Of course, her husband wasn’t that clever and came up with the idea of going with both her careers. 

 

Their firstborn, the beautiful little girl, was named Rosé. Like wine. 

 

Taylor got a bit of a kick out of it. 

 

Of course, Daisy stuck by the belief that it was pronounced like Rosie, making her name Rosie Lee, familiar to the name Rosalie, which had always been a favorite of hers. 

 

The boy was a bit harder and they went back and forth before finally settling on Ash, named for the plant, dubbing him Ash Lee, familiar to Ashley, another name that Tom had liked. 

 

After that, it was just the five of them. Tom and Daisy, Jasmine, Rosé and Ash. 

 

The perfect little family that Daisy never imagined herself having, but quickly found she never wanted to live without. 

 

** Legacy **

 

Meadows Winery became a flash hit, working out of both in California and Italy. Daisy bought the land that previously belonged to her family and used it as both a winery and a botanical garden. If the world was going to burn around her, she’d do whatever she could to preserve some of the best parts of it. 

 

Daisy wasn’t famous like the rest of her family and she would never have her name up in lights, but she had a husband she adored and children she loved, along with siblings and parents that supported her in every aspect of her life, and that was all that mattered to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're coming down to the end. 
> 
> Up next: Taylor
> 
> Face claims: 
> 
> Daisy: Rose Leslie 
> 
> Tom: Henry Golding


	25. Little Lion Man (Taylor's Chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taylor Mazzello is my favorite child. There. I said it.

**Career**

 

Taylor Hardy Mazzello knew right off the bat what he wanted in his life.

 

His dad. 

 

How could he not when they’re practically identical? When the chance to act came along, Taylor jumped at the chance. Not because he wanted to do the actual work, but being on set meant hanging out with his dad more and more. 

 

The first time was fun, especially since he got to learn all about dinosaurs. Who wouldn’t want to do that? 

 

He got to play the character his father originated and then the son of said character. It was a win-win for all those involved and getting nominated and even winning a Critics Choice award for the best young performer was something Taylor never imagined happening. 

 

But it did and that was enough to make him think that maybe this acting thing wasn’t too terrible. Of course, like his father before him, he always found himself drawn to things outside of the screen. 

 

His love of dinosaurs never really went away so when the chance to study them came about, Taylor wasn’t going to let it slip away. Archeology was exciting and paleontology was enough to keep his attention focused every day of the year. 

 

He continued on acting, because well, he was good at it. He loved to act and knew how to do it well. He took on roles that challenged him, mostly following in his father’s footsteps. It had become something of a running joke that he repeatedly found himself reprising his father's roles. 

 

Jurassic Park was one of them, but then Joe found himself deciding, quite out of the blue, to remake Star Kid, with him behind the camera directing and for some added fun, he got Ben to play the on-screen father. 

 

Taylor was over the moon to be working with his Papa and the film did well enough for a passion project. It was exciting to once again play a character that his father helped create and he was quite proud to be following in his dad’s footsteps. 

 

But he would be lying if he said that his heart didn’t belong to those who had died long before them. 

 

Taylor took school very seriously and quickly found himself going after every degree possible. Associates, Bachelors, Masters, until finally, he decided well, why not doctorates?

 

It was quite obvious from the start that Taylor was the brightest of all the Mazzello children, though he never found that to be a bragging point. Everyone was smart in this own way after all. And JJ made a quick point of it to remind him that while Taylor had a degree after degree, he also thought babies came from storks until he was fourteen despite being a male carrier himself and witnessing both of his parents pregnant. 

 

It was safe to say that everybody had their calling in this world and Taylor knew what was his. 

 

He wound up with a rather comfy position at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, which allowed him to interact with those who visited and give presentations on all the exhibits they had to offer. 

 

Taylor was an incredibly hard-working man, having never taken a break from his schooling unless a film called for his full attention and he was proud of the work he had done. He went around the world and lived a life he hoped his parents would be rather proud of. 

 

**Love Life**

 

Truth was, Taylor didn’t plan on falling in love when he was just a little boy, but he did. 

 

He was just a young lad when his parent's best friends introduced him to their newly adopted children. Taylor didn’t quite understand how Uncle Liam and Uncle Allen had no children but then suddenly had two children within just a few days, but he chose not to question it. 

 

Sybil and Thomas were the same age as him and while they both looked very different and acted very differently and well, sounded very different, he liked them all the same. 

 

His big sister had picked up their father’s British accent, so hearing one again wasn’t too much for him to handle. They were quiet at first, neither saying much, but Taylor and his twin were as patient as they came. 

 

Daisy took a liking to Sybil and the two became fast friends and while Taylor would never suggest that he and Thomas were each other's number one, they played together well enough. It wasn’t long before the two came out of their shells and the four of them would play together often. 

 

And then puberty hit and everything went to hell. 

 

Being in the limelight was hard enough, but being there while also going through physical changes was absolute torture. Unlike his siblings, Taylor wasn’t gorgeous in the laziest of ways. Clara and JJ didn’t have awkward stages. They looked lovely from birth, and Daisy seemed to follow through. 

 

Taylor was a bumble of energy who just seemed to carry on the baby's face from start to finish. It also didn’t help that his dad tended to apologize for him looking the way he does. 

 

“It’s hard. We’re called cute when we don't want to be cute. How you could have a father like him and wind up looking like me. Welp. That’s just cruel.” 

 

“Will you shut up?” Ben demanded from across the table. “Tay, you’re as handsome as ever and any person who doesn’t want you as a suitor is an absolute fool.” 

 

Leave it to his Papa to always say the right thing. 

 

Of course, Taylor didn’t think anyone would like him. He had asked a girl to a school dance once they got comfortable at their private school. He had been bullied rather mercilessly at his public school, though he never understood why. 

 

Maybe he was too friendly or maybe he didn’t act as well as he thought he did, but the kids were jerks and his sister did everything she could to protect him, but it all got too much for him. 

 

The private school held a winter formal every year and Taylor was excited to go. He had asked a girl in his glass, the sister of one of his new friends, though she made it clear that she wasn’t interested. 

 

He rolled it off, accepting defeat like a pro because that was just who Taylor was. Happy-go-lucky who just wanted everyone to have a good time. Looking back, he didn’t even remember her name, but it didn’t matter. 

 

He ended up skipping the dance, staying home with Daisy and Billie instead, watching movies and eating popcorn. 

 

Billie was sleeping over, in Daisy’s room of course, though Taylor was allowed to stay on the floor for the night. 

 

Billie was taking a shower when Daisy pulled her brother aside and demanded to know how he felt about the girl. This confused him as it made little to no sense. He liked her. They were friends! 

 

“Like-like, Taylor. Like, if she had asked you to the dance, would you have gone?” 

 

“I mean. I guess. If she wanted to go.” 

 

“What if she wanted to do other stuff, like go to the movies?” 

 

“Is it one of dad’s movies?” 

 

“Any movie, Taylor.” 

 

“Does she want to go to the movies? We could go tomorrow.” 

 

“As a date! If she asked you out on a date, what would you do?” 

 

Taylor didn’t know what to say. The idea of going on a date seemed too abstract to seem realistic and to put that thought on the same level as Billie . . . no. It didn’t click for him. 

 

It was, however, a possibility for him as a strange turn of fate, Billie had a bit of a crush on him. 

 

Him. 

 

Taylor Mazzello. 

 

The dinosaur boy. 

 

It didn’t seem logical. But then again, despite being as bright as he was, Taylor had never fully followed logic. 

 

In the back of his mind, Taylor thought perhaps this was a joke being played on him. He would ask out Billie, who in turn would laugh in his face or gently shut him down. 

 

He would have fully believed in this if it didn’t come from his sister. And how much as he can get on his sister's nerves, there was no way she would do something so cruel just for a laugh. 

 

This was why Taylor took the chance, leaped. He put trust in his sister, in his best friend. 

 

It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, swallow down his pride and face his fear as he asked Billie out. He got permission from Daisy, of course. After all, that was her best friend and he didn’t want to cross the line or make things awkward for anyone. 

 

Daisy didn’t care. 

 

Well, she did. She wasn’t keen on her brother and best friend were making out in front of her. Granted, they were still so young, so kissing seemed a bit taboo to Taylor, but that didn’t change the facts that it was a possibility. 

 

To his surprise, however, Billie agreed. To a date. With him. 

 

They went to the movies and held hands. Clara drove them because despite being very open with his parents about everything, Taylor was very sure he would melt to the floor if his parents talked about him dating someone. 

 

Now, having a girlfriend was a lot different from having a friend. For one, you kiss. 

 

And Taylor liked kissing. He liked to kiss, and hold her hand, and buy her little things that would make you smile. He tried not to kiss her all the time because he didn’t want to be gross or make their other friends uncomfortable. 

 

To be honest, Taylor waited for Billie to give in the talk. To say that they’d be better off friends and he’d understand. But it never came. They dated through junior high and into high school. Taylor would continue with his acting and he’d brag about her on red carpets because how could he not?

 

Billie was beautiful and kind, and lovely in every single way. Falling in love with her was the easiest thing he ever had to do. 

 

They grew up together so there were no secrets to hide. At least not on Taylor’s bed. There were things about Billie she didn’t like about herself, things she tried to keep from Taylor to make him stay with her and he never questioned it. Maybe he should have but he didn’t want to force anything out of her. 

 

He wanted Billie to speak openly with him and if she couldn’t then he wouldn’t pry. 

 

They stayed together throughout high school and into the summer after graduation. Billie has gotten a scholarship for Cambridge while he had his full ride to focus on. Taylor wasn’t naive enough to think they’d stay together in college. Billie wanted to see the whole world and experience new things; he wasn’t going to hold her back from that. 

 

So he let her go, promising to remain friends despite how overused and cliched it was. 

 

After that, he stayed single for a good while before meeting a guy at a party at his school. Taylor didn’t party often but he had just done well on al his exams and wanted to have a bit of fun. 

 

The guy's name was Tyler and was handsome enough. Taylor has always been rather curious about the same sex, and seeing as he was raised by two gay men and had a brother that proudly wore the gold star, he thought he’d give it a go. 

 

A few shots down and he was ready to party. He woke up the next morning with a sore bottom and a headache like no other. It was a one night stand and he wasn’t too bothered by it. At least not until a conversation carried on through his parents at the dinner table a few days later did he remember one very important aspect that would be pretty damn important to him. 

 

It was like a domino falling. First Daisy, and then Clara. JJ heard it and dragged Benji onto it. Ginny missed out on account of her being a literal child and the group went to gather the pregnancy test just to see if the only male carrier as well, carrying. 

 

He wasn’t, thankfully but the scare was enough to set Taylor straight, quite literally. He could enjoy the male gaze but there weren’t any homoerotic evenings for him. 

 

He continued being as single as a Pringle and keeping his focus on both schooling and working until the love of his life came crashing back into his life. 

 

Well, not crashing. Not like striking. 

 

He was house-sitting for his uncles when Billie returned home from London. She didn’t know he was there and decided to attack the apparent intrude with a vase. It was quite an interesting surprise, he had to admit. 

 

She was home for good having lost her job at an art gallery. It turned out she had been having an affair with the man who ran it and he just seemed to lose interest in her. Taylor didn’t quite understand as he always found Billie to be interesting but the guy was a moron anyway. 

 

Without even a second thought he got her a job at the Museum he had been working at, helping her with learning all the exhibits to do the job well enough. 

 

They didn’t fall right back into a relationship. That took time. He didn’t want to be a rebound for Billies' broken heart and wanted her to want this just as much as he did. Did he make his ex-girlfriend work for his affections? Eh, perhaps. Taylor a hopeless romantic at best. Well, perhaps a hopeful romantic, like his Papa. He didn't want a string of heartaches to be left in his wake. He was getting older and was settling into this life that he adored, so if he was to get into another relationship, he wanted it to last a lifetime. 

 

It wasn’t long before Billie came to her senses, of course, confessing to him that he had always been too good for her. He tried to argue and she refused to back down. She had admitted that she had been the one with the narcotic issue and not her brother and that Tom took the blame for her so she could continue with school.

 

Taylor had known this all along as he was wise enough to catch the little changes she had been dealing with but he didn’t find it his place to say anything when the truth came out and Tom took the fall. 

 

He was happy that she was honest with him now and he confessed to his own little boo having forgotten for a moment that he was a carrier and slept with a guy regardless of protection. 

 

They ended up laughing off their mistakes, both realizing they’re just two idiots just trying to make it in this big world.

 

Still. There was no denying that he loved her. Sybil Lee, the only girl other than his sister to treat him with any real kindness. Who would listen to him ramble on about dinosaurs and read his lines with him? So when he proposed to her with an amber ring he was happy that she accepted without a second thought. 

 

The wedding was as beautiful as one could imagine, with Daisy as Billie’s maid of honor since Tom was currently overseas and JJ standing in as his best man, with Murphy settled in his hand so he could be in on the action.

 

**Family**

 

The funny thing about being a male carrier is that well, he can carry. Simple as that. Of course for his own biology to kick in Taylor would have to basically breed with another carrier. That wasn’t in the cards for him having fallen in love with a girl. A girl who had been told due to her drug-addicted mother doing everything under the sun with her during pregnancy that actually carrying a baby was pretty low. 

 

Her eggs worked but nothing else. 

 

And that gave Taylor an idea.

 

It seemed pretty simple. Her eggs. His sperm. His kangaroo pouch as he called it much to the chagrin in of his sister. It seemed pretty idea and Taylor liked being able to provide for his family.

 

Of course, miracles were known to happen in the Mazzello family and after getting confirmation that it took inside of him Billie was informed by her doctor that she too was pregnant. They had some celebratory lovemaking after implanting him and low and behold her body took just as he did.

 

Being pregnant at the same time as his wife was interesting, to say the least. Billie was more high risk than himself and they never really allowed themselves to put their guard down until the very last moment.

 

Taylor was taken in via c-section, welcoming a beautiful boy into the world, which they rightfully named Grant Murphy, named after the character that changed Taylor’s life forever. Three weeks later Billie, the poor thing, struggled with a high-risk natural birth that had everyone on the edge of their seat. 

 

The baby was all right, but the doctor didn’t think her body would be able to have another. They were fine with that. They had their bundle. 

 

Their beautiful boy and gorgeous girl, rightfully named Lily as an homage to the floral title that his twin carried. 

 

Taylor didn’t know if anything could make him happier. 

 

**Legacy**

 

Taylor received his doctorates and remained as the head of archeology at the Natural history museum in California. He continued to work in acting, using his plate form to speak of fossil fuels and the best ways to erase our carbon footprint. 

 

He took great pride in being a near clone of his father, never feeling like he lacked in anything compared to his siblings. He lived a good life and was happy with it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two left. How do you feel? 
> 
> Up next is Benji!
> 
> Face claims: 
> 
> Taylor: Joe Mazzello 
> 
> Billie: Naomi Scott


	26. Piano Man (Benji's chapter)

**Career**

 

Similar to JJ’s journey to finding love, Benji’s road to finding his purpose in the world was short. He was born to be playing music. It coursed through his veins. While he was first discovered to have an ear for music without any prior teaching when accompanying his father at the studio and getting the opportunity to play the piano, Benji was interested in all instruments. The piano was, of course, his favorite, with string instruments coming in at a second place. It was like Taylor, who had his favorite dinosaur but honestly, he loved all of them. He could rattle facts about all of them known to man if given 48 years to do so.

 

Benji started with the piano and it is where he made most of his career out of. There was a time as a youngling when he thought of switching to the violin but then he was so interested in playing like his idol, Elton John, and then got to play with the man, that he decided to mainly stick to the piano.

 

Aside from remaking some of his dad’s old movies from when he was a child with his older brother, Taylor, Joe also loved to remake music videos with his mini Ben. Safe to say that by the time Benji was 10, he had done over 10 of Elton John’s music videos and had more glamorous glasses of his than he’d be proud to admit. 

 

His older brother JJ and Benji had a knack for the limelight, in different realms, of course. JJ focused on his dance numbers on TikTok while Benji made remakes of Elton John videos, had discussions about famous pianists, and rated instruments bought on the internet all on YouTube. He eventually made a TikTok too but that was only to show his audience how darn cute his baby sister, Ginny was when she was adopted into the Mazzello clan. 

 

His fathers were loaded enough to send him to an academy where he can hone into his musical abilities. He thrived at that school, often coming home with a new symphony he created in less than two days. When it was time to graduate, Benji didn’t want to be like his brother, JJ or sister, Clara and move away from home. He was just fine going to a university close to home. He wanted to go where the music was but there were lots of schools in CA that had music programs. Did he take a few trips to visit JJ and check out the NYC Philharmonic as well? Of course! But California also had the Philharmonic in Pasadena, so it was a no brainer. 

 

As an adult, Benji didn’t become the next Elton John. Even though he had his mannerisms down pat in all his remake videos, he didn’t want to be a superstar. He loved playing the piano, but more classically. So when the Philharmonic offered him a full-time gig, he couldn’t say no. It was a dream to be a part of the team - he could play alongside other talents as well as write some of his songs that one day can be heard by thousands to millions in theaters.

 

At the end of the day, Benji looked the most like his Papa but had no desire to reach the level of fame that his Papa did. Sure, when his sister finally cleaned up his nerdy look in his late teens did he receive a couple of more invitations from the ladies to go for a bite but aside from that, Benji was completely content with his music - his fingers - those beautiful black and white keys - speaking for him.

 

**Love Life**

 

Clara (Muma) would say that Benji looked like the biggest Goober (second to his brother, Taylor) until she got his hands on him and gave him a total makeover. It wasn’t that Benji was horrid-looking. He looked the most like his Papa but he didn’t have the fashion sense of his Papa. And he didn’t care about it. He cared about his music, but his looks, so much so that he had these huge looking specs from the 70s (worse than the black-rimmed hipster glasses) and enough ugly sweaters and striped collar shirts to make the folks from Queer Eye cringe. 

 

“What? Just because I told you about that one girl that looked me up and down and laughed in my face when I asked to grab a bite, now suddenly I needed to be made over from head to toe?”

 

“.....Yes. Now get in the men's dressing room before I call JJ up.” Benji groaned and dragged himself in the dressing room while his big sister, Clara, holding one baby in her arms and two around her legs, through clothes over the door.

 

The girl that laughed in his face was thankful, not the girl he ended up marrying. The girl did question her rejection of Benji after his makeover but Benji scoffed and took a new seat between rehearsals at the philharmonic, landing next to a violinist who gave him a soft smile as he took his seat.

 

Her name was Arabella. She won several competitions as a violinist and spoke just as passionately about music as Benji did. When they both had time after rehearsal to exchange names and numbers, Benji didn’t think it had anything to do with his makeover.

 

It didn’t. About a month later, when they had made up several times and were kind of official, she admitted that she thought he was cute even when he was grumpy and had his huge retro glasses. He found out that she was also a premiere like him and while she didn’t have horrid eyesight like Benji, she was hard of hearing in one ear. Benji was fascinated by how she could be hard of hearing, even in one ear, and still be so precise as a musician. 

 

By their second month of dating, Benji knew that she was his person. As a young person, his Papa spoke about finding your person and just knowing. It took Papa some foolish behavior before he realized that Dad was his person. Mum sealed it for them but after six kids, there was no going back now. Also, all the Mazzello children believed that if either of them filed for divorce, all of them would attack the divorcer and the divorcee would be charged with murder. Benji laughed at his daddy when he said this but Joe, with a mouth full of rice in his mouth, looked at his youngest son died in the eye and said, “You think I’m joking? NO. Papa is dead if he ever tries to leave.” Papa admitted the same thing to Benji when asked the question during ice cream and movie night. “Oh, absolutely dead man.”

 

And that’s when Benji made his goal to make sure he found his person. That one. He had to feel it deep in his gut and he’d do everything and anything to keep it. 

 

Benji felt that with Arabella. Absolutely. They had so much in common. They performed in the same theater. They came into the world far before the world expected them. They both advertise yet pushed still onward. 

 

It didn’t take more than a year for Benji to propose to Arabella. She agreed without missing a beat. Her father was a bit skeptical about Benji’s background. Two dads? Male carriers, to boot. Six siblings? It was a lot but then he made Joe and that man can convince anyone to like him. Ben could woo anyone into falling head over heels for him while Joe could make you his best bro in a mere hour. 

 

Their wedding was beautiful. JJ and Taylor shared the role of best man, JJ performing a dance number as his speech while Taylor cried (he was pregnant at the time) and said how proud he was of his little bro and how Arabella is always welcome to play for their babies or at the museum. Needless to say, Benji had to gently push the younger of the two away from mic because, according to him, “He had never been at a more beautiful wedding.” 

 

Benji’s first dance was unique. Instead of splitting the time between his fathers, he split the time with Clara and then the second half for his fathers at the same time. Were there some very confused guests? Yes. But that was his mummy and no one could deny him his first dance with his Mum.

 

**Family**

 

Benji and Arabella had only one child. It wasn’t that they didn’t love children. They adored them. But they were very busy performers who eventually started to travel across the country. Multiple babies were just not ideal. So their daughter, Clarice, was a honeymoon baby that went along for the ride. She was so beautiful - having wild black locks like her mother while having that European jawline and piercing green eyes.

 

Having musicians as parents didn't mean she had to become a performer like her parents but she did anyway. She wasn’t as interested in classical, loving the rock and roll scene instead. By the age of fifteen, she devised a band, playing bass and piano (naturally). And thanks to Aunt Ginny’s talent for writing, Clarice’s band became a bit of a teen hit. 

 

**Legacy**

 

Benji was not like his sister, Daisy, who avoided the limelight at all costs. He also wasn’t like his mum, who started very young with her face plastered everywhere or Taylor, who was in movies and some TV shows. He was somewhere in the middle. He made a name for himself. He had fans on social media. The classical world would know his name. Thanks to Elton, who allowed him to play on stage as a six-year-old, he had some fans in the pop/rock world for some time.

 

But at the end of the day, Benji Mazzello was perfectly fine, traveling the country and eventually, around the world, educating the world about the benefits of classical music. Somehow those interviews where he spoke about the benefits of classical music led him to talk about being born premature and eventually, he created a foundation promoting music and more specifically, music therapy, in NICUs. With the nudge of his brother Taylor, he also went back to university and received a Masters in Music Therapy, where he began going to hospitals with his wife, performing for the little ones and some of the big ones. Music is an art. Music is an escape. Music healed the soul and Benjamin Mazzello wanted to be a part of that healing, in any way he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more left. Are you sad about it? Tell us in the comments.


	27. We Are The Champions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. We have reached the end. Fun fact! One year ago today (February 12th) I posted the very first chapter, of the very first fanfic I've ever written. What a strange rollercoaster it has been since then!
> 
> Now, be aware that we have taken . . . creative liberties with these final characters. Nothing wrong, but we went a bit "Soap Opera" on this final one. 
> 
> If you have issues with it . . . to be honest, we really don't care.

The three Mazzello boys sat in a perfect row along with the couch. And while they might be known as the Mazzello Boys, it was very clear that they were Mazzello men. All over the age of twenty-five, with wives and a husband of their own and children to brag about. 

 

Across from them sat the youngest Mazzello child, their bubbly little sister that they adored endlessly. And beside her, was her wife, the other young woman they cared for deeply. 

 

When Ginny had been adopted into the family at just a few months old, each of the Mazzello children took her on as if she was just like them. Flesh and blood as her parents. With her mother gone and her father nowhere to be found, Ben couldn’t help but fall for the redhead baby he had done skin to skin with while volunteering at the hospital. 

 

She was a gift sent to Ben and Joe when their children were off doing amazing things, keeping them busy and keeping them content. 

 

They had very little idea as to why the two women would ask for them to all meetup. Perhaps Ginny was going to reveal her newest script and wanted the three of them to help bring it to the stage. JJ as choreograph it, Taylor to act in it, and Benji to do the music. It wouldn’t be the first time they had worked with their baby sister. 

 

“Thank you all for meeting us here today,” Ginny began, crossing her leg over the other, getting comfortable in her chair. 

 

“What’s up, Gin?” JJ asked curiously. 

 

“Before we begin, we want you to know that we love each of you and thought long and hard before making this decision,” Gemma mentioned, wanting to get that out of the way. 

 

“Ooookay,” Taylor mused curiously. “What’s going on?” 

 

“As you know, we’ve been married for some time now.” 

 

“We were there,” JJ reminded her. 

 

“I did the music,” Benji pipped in. 

 

“Daddy and Papa cried,” Taylor stated. 

 

“Yes! It was a lovely ceremony. And after our wonderful wedding, we decided to use the fantastic advantages of modern medical technology to have our biological child.” 

 

“Gigi, yes.” 

 

“Very cute.” 

 

“Very chunky.” 

 

“We always pictured ourselves having more than one child. And while we love being the mommies to a little girl, we can’t help but to want to add a boy into the mix.” 

 

“Well duh. We were all raised by two men.” JJ commented. “Excluding you, Gem. Sorry.” 

 

“The doctor informed us recently that while the bone marrow method is successful, it just isn’t possible to have the outcome we’re hoping for. At least not yet.” 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“The outcome will always be female for us.” 

 

“And that’s fine! Another girl would be lovely, but we don’t want to be like grandpa and grandad and have an endless array of children.” Gemma explained. 

 

“We want to have two or three, and we’d like one of those babies to be a boy. So, we found a solution we think would work well enough.” 

 

“We’re going to use one of Ginny’s eggs and with a sperm donation, we’ll have the doctor pull some strings so we can assure that it will be male.” 

 

“That’s great, girls. We’re happy for you.” 

 

“Where’s the sperm coming from?” JJ asked carefully. 

 

Gemma and Ginny exchanged a glance, and it only took a few beats for the men to connect the dots. 

 

“No,” JJ replied automatically. “No. I’m sorry. I love you both, but I can’t.” 

 

“Jay, come on!” 

 

“You’re my sister, Gin! It’s weird. It’s too close for comfort for me.” 

 

“I am your sister through adoption, not blood!”

 

“Since when as that ever mattered?” 

 

“Since I want to have a baby that will be related to both Gemma and me.” 

 

“Can’t you just adopt?” Benji offered. “That’s what dad and papa did.” 

 

“We thought about it, but if we’re able to have a biological child, we want to take that chance,” Gemma explained. 

 

“You’re not able to do that unless we help you soooo.” JJ pointed out. 

 

“If one of you three donate sperm, that means the child will be biologically my son and Gemma’s cousin,” Ginny stated. “Come on! When have I ever asked you to do anything for me?” 

 

“Look! Look what you could make!” Gemma rose from her seat, going over to the playpen where Gigi was currently playing. She held up the fifteen-month-old, showing her off proudly. “Don’t you want to help us have another?”

 

“Look. I love you both, I do, but knocking up my little sister so she and our niece can have a child is just too much for me.” JJ admitted. 

 

Ginny scowled, narrowing her eyes at her eldest brother. 

 

“What about you two?” Gemma asked, looking between Taylor and Benji.

 

Both men sat in silence, neither knowing what to say before finally, Benji jumped from his seat. “I’ll do it.” 

 

“Seriously?” 

 

“On one condition,” He paused, looking to Gemma. “Your mother practically raised me. There’s a reason I call her mummy from time to time. If you want me to do this, I want to be Papa.” 

 

“Are you joking?” Gemma muttered dryly. 

 

“That’s my deal-breaker. Give me the title or you can try to persuade Taylor to give it up.” 

 

The two women sighed, exchanging a quick look to one another. “Fine. Papa it is.” 

 

The blond clapped his hands together, walking over to embrace both women before taking Gigi into his arms. “All right. Do you think we’ll make a pretty baby, Gin?” 

 

“God, don’t say it like that.” JJ groaned. 

 

“I think it’s sweet. Our baby brother and our baby sister having a baby together.” Taylor mentioned softly. He paused, his eyes widening. “Oh God, I get it now.” 

 

“I hate both of you,” Ginny swore, going to flick both their ears harshly. 

 

It was a little less than a year later when their newest bundle. It was quite exciting, especially for Joe and Ben who were finally up in age and felt comfortable with having their final grandchild. Ginny and Gemma have no interest in any more children so it seemed the Mazzello line was officially finished for right now. 

 

The whole Mazzello clan filled inside the hospital room. The siblings all around to see their newest nephew. 

 

“Look at you. Look at you. The most beautiful boy in the world.” Joe cooed, rocking the infant gently in his arms. 

 

“Who would have thought he’d be a blond,” Ben mentioned brightly, looking down at the infant in his husband's eyes. 

 

“Strawberry blond, grandad. Just like mum,” Gemma spoke from the corner, her fingers laced around Ginny’s hand as she laid in the hospital bed, 

 

“Did you go for a blond donor?” Joe asked curiously. 

 

“Uh-huh,” Ginny replies simply. 

 

“Gigi, are you happy to have a little brother?” Ben asked the two-year-old. She bobbed her dark little head, still clinging to Clara as they relaxed together in the corner.

 

The door burst open then, with Benji hurrying inside holding flowers and balloons, and a stuffed doll that looked a bit familiar. 

 

“Where’s my boy? Where is the little lad?” He demanded. 

 

“Ellie is right here, B,” Ginny spoke to him, gesturing to where Joe was sitting. 

 

“Ellie? Is that the name you decided on?” Taylor asked from the other corner of the room. 

 

“Named after the greatest man in the world. Aside from you two, of course.” Benji mentioned, gesturing to his father’s before swooping in and taking the bundle from Joe’s arms. 

 

“I don’t get it,” Ben spoke carefully.

 

“I thought you said you were gonna call him EJ?” Joe commented. 

 

“We are.” 

 

“EJ is a shortening.” 

 

“For…?” 

 

“Elton John,” Benji announced eagerly. 

 

“Please tell me that’s a joke,” Clara asked carefully, while JJ just laughed.

 

“You let that moron name your child after a flamboyant piano player?” 

 

“He is an Oscar winner!” Benji snapped. “Besides, it was my final condition.” 

 

“Condition for what?” Ben questioned. 

 

“Just so we’re clear, he’s not named exclusively for Elton John.” Ginny expressed. 

 

“John is a very common name. Another member of Queen was named John. And a Beatle!” 

 

“Why did Benji need a condition?” Joe prompted. 

 

Benji stood in the middle of the room, swaying the infant peacefully. He muttered softly to the newborn babe, singing to him his favorite tune, one that Clara used to sing to him when he was new to the world. 

 

“Virginia,” Ben began. 

 

Joe raised his raised, tapping his fingers thoughtfully against his lips. “Sweetie. Quick question.” 

 

There was pop then, and Daisy stepped forward, holding a new bottle of champaign. “Let’s have a drink, shall we?” 

 

Joe just reached out, taking the whole bottle as the understanding of what was going on came to play. 

 

“He did that on the night we met.” Ben sighed quietly, letting the relaxation glaze over him peacefully. “You good mate?” 

 

“Oh, I’m great!” Joe commented, his mouth full of the sparkling liquid before he returned to the bottle. 

 

Daisy passed the second bottle around, filling up the cups as the Mazzello family celebrated the arrival of the newest member. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Face claims: 
> 
> Ginny: Jane Levy
> 
> Gemma: Elise Eberle 
> 
> A reminder that Ginny and Gemma are not biologically related, so their marriage is completely legal. 
> 
> Congrats on Ben for getting a girlfriend! Despite being told multiple times we're "sick in the head" for writing fanfic about Ben and Joe, we are completely aware this doesn't actually exist. It's for fun. 
> 
> This couple was a coping mechanism for me. Despite the amazing things that happened to me (seeing Queen and meeting Roger) 2019 was a very hard year for me and this couple made it less horrible. Maybe it was a toxic clutch, but I don't see it that way. 
> 
> I thank you all for reading this and caring about it. It's been a wild ride. Before you ask: YES I will be complete "If I Could Turn Back Time" at a later date. So keep a lookout for that, it'll be posted at some point. 
> 
>  
> 
> Until then, happy shipping!


End file.
